Arpeni to add 9 vessels to its fleet

Publicly listed shipping company PT Arpeni Ocean Line Tbk is planning to purchase 9 new vessels to further boost its shipping fleet, the company top official said on Thursday.

President director Oentoro Surya told Petromindo.Com that the company will order six panamax ships which are expected to be delivered between 2011 and 2012, two handymax ships which will be delivered in October this year and sometime next year, and a storage batch which will be delivered in 2011.

The company needed about US$351 million for the purchase, he said, adding about 20 percent of the funds will be obtained from internal sources while the other 80 percent will be financed by bank loans.

He said that Arpeni has passed pre-qualification selection to transport coal to Tanjung Jati B coal-fired power plant (extension). The tender involves the transportation of 4 million ton per annum of coal to Tanjung Jati B.

He also said that Arpeni would ship around 14 million tons of coal this year compared to just 12 million tons last year, without giving further details.

Currently, Arpeni has a 76-strong fleet, including 10 bulk carriers, 10 bulk carriers, 22 barges, 27 tug boats and 10 floating cranes. (kanti)