Seanergy announced that it has taken delivery of the 176,387 dwt Capesize bulk carrier,
built in 2013 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan, which was renamed M/V Flagship (the “Vessel”). The Vessel was subsequently financed through a leasing agreement with Cargill International SA (“Cargill” or the “Charterer”). Pursuant to the agreement, the Company has chartered back the Vessel on a bareboat basis and subsequently entered into a five-year time charter (“T/C”) with Cargill at a rate which is linked to the Baltic Capesize Index (BCI).
Financing Agreement
The bareboat financing amount of the Vessel is $20.5 million at an implied interest rate of approximately 2% all-in, fixed for five years. The Company has the option to buy back the Vessel at any time during the whole five-year leasing period, at the end of which it has a purchase obligation of $10 million subject to certain adjustments based on the market price of the Vessel.
Time Charter Agreement
Under the terms of the T/C, the Vessel will earn an index-linked rate based on BCI, while the Company has the option to convert the daily hire from index-linked to fixed for a minimum period of three months to a maximum of 12 months based on the prevailing Capesize Freight Futures Agreements (“FFA”) curve. The index-linked rate will be 102% of the BCI minus $1,325 per day. The term of the T/C matches the term of the leasing transaction and has a duration of 60 months from the delivery of the Vessel to Cargill
on May 10, 2021.
Energy Saving Devices
In addition, Cargill will fund the equipment and the installation of certain energy saving devices (“ESDs”) onboard the M/V Flagship, aimed to increase the Vessel’s energy efficiency by reducing fuel consumption and subsequently the Vessel’s carbon footprint. The Company and the Charterer have successfully implemented a similar project for the M/V Championship in 2019 in a cooperative scheme pioneered by Seanergy and Cargill.
Stamatis Tsantanis, the Company’s Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, stated:
“We are pleased to announce the delivery of the thirteenth Capesize vessel and its immediate commencement of period employment, during the strongest Capesize market of the last decade. Including this delivery, 84% percent of our fleet is employed under index-linked time charters. We are also excited to further expand our strategic partnership with Cargill with another transaction, which is very beneficial commercially and environmentally. Cargill is one of the most prominent charterers with a clearly defined and actionable environmental and sustainability agenda.
The debt financings we have secured so far for our recent vessel acquisitions are priced competitively and this will further reduce the Company’s average cash interest expense. Moreover, upon the conclusion of this transaction our strong liquidity position will be further enhanced. The implementation of our strategic decisions of the last 6 months has a clear positive impact on Seanergy so far, and we continuously explore opportunities to further increase value for our shareholders.”
