ESL Shipping has moved to shore up its fleet, picking up a secondhand bulker to keep capacity steady while it waits for newbuildings to arrive.

The Baltic dry bulk specialist, part of Finnish conglomerate Aspo, has acquired a geared ice-class 1A 16,600 DWT vessel, following the recent sale of the 21,353 dwt handysize bulker Kallio last October. The move is aimed at bridging a gap until ESL’s first “Green Handy” vessels join the fleet in around two years’ time.

The ship was handed over in January in Tallinn and has been renamed Nordis. It sails under the Finnish flag and was built in 2002.

Managing director Mikki Koskinen said the acquisition would help the company maintain operational continuity during the transition period. “By adding this vessel to our fleet, we can safeguard employment for our experienced crew and maintain consistent service for both new and existing customers,” he said.

The addition maintains ESL’s carrying capacity in its core Baltic trades, where ice-class tonnage remains crucial for year-round operations. ESL, together with sister company AtoB@C Shipping, operates a combined fleet of around 40 vessels ranging from 4,000 to 25,000 dwt.