German shipowners Rowil Ponta and Richard Grube have joined forces with energy trading giant Gunvor on a $50m-plus LR1 tanker project using the Norwegian KS (limited partnership) system.
The partners have snapped up three secondhand product tankers in structures organised by Clarksons Platou Project Finance and are understood to be closing in on ship number four.
Ponta and Grube’s Nordic Hamburg and Gunvor entity Clearlake Shipping are equity investors in the new vehicle, as is Jacob Shipping, which will take technical management of the tankers.
