Almi Gas, 대우조선해양과 건조 계약

[Capt. Hong]

Almi establishes gas shipping vehicle

·         Monday 26 March 2012, 17:04

·         by Nigel Lowry

Almi Gas has been established so the group can move into LNG shipping.

Owner steps up talks on debut LNG vessels

THE group behind fast-expanding Almi Tankers has established a sister shipping vehicle, Almi Gas, as the focus of its planned move into the liquefied natural gas shipping sector.

“We want to be a player in LNG and we are looking at a number of projects,” Almi founder Costas Fostiropoulos told Lloyd’s List.

The group, which has an ongoing series of 10 suezmaxes, as well as two very large crude carriers, under construction by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, is known to be close to agreement on an initial two LNG carriers at the same yard.

However, Mr Fostiropoulos declined to give details of any further plans.

It is understood DSME is being pressed for both Almi’s LNG slots to be for delivery within 2014.

The group is said by gas market sources to be in talks with an eastern European state energy concern as one option for employing LNG vessels.

At the same time, a broking source has suggested that Almi has shown interest also in modern secondhand tonnage with a view to establishing itself as an operator even earlier than this.

The group also includes Fairsky Shipping & Trading, a dry bulk carrier company.