Oslo-listed dry bulk owner Himalaya Shipping has secured a new charter deal for one of its large dual-fuel bulkers as the vessel prepares to roll off its current employment.

The company said the 2023-built newcastlemax Mount Matterhorn has been fixed on a charter lasting between 12 and 14 months. The 210,000 dwt vessel is expected to begin the new contract in the second half of March following redelivery from its current charter.

The Tor Olav Troim-backed owner noted the deal is linked to the Baltic Exchange Capesize 5TC Index and will earn a significant premium to the benchmark.

The contract also includes an option allowing the charter to be converted to a fixed rate based on prevailing forward freight agreement curves.

The newcastlemax specialist currently controls a fleet of 12 LNG dual-fuel ships delivered between 2023 and 2024 and technically managed by OSM Thome and Wilhelmsen Ship Management.

Operational earnings have remained strong so far this year. In February, the company reported average time charter equivalent earnings of about $32,400 per day, including scrubber benefits of roughly $1,200 per day.

Ships trading on fixed-rate charters earned around $29,400 per day, while those on index-linked deals achieved about $34,500 per day on average.