Negmar grows silently and deeply
The combined fleet, which is owned by Saudi Arabian capital Negmar Denizcilik, will grow even more with the new LPG tankers to be delivered from Hyundai.Negmar Shipping has increased its targetThe combined fleet, in which Saudi Arabian capital is also a partner, and owned by Negmar Shipping, will grow even more with the new LPG tankers to be delivered from Hyundai.According to the news of Tradewinds, the gas sector is the only sector that is not very hotly represented in the Turkish markets. Apart from the small number of players in the LPG sector, there is no Turkish initiative that has made a name for itself in the LNG market. However, Negmar Denizcilik plans to change the absence of Turkish entrepreneurs in the LNG sector with the steps it has taken.Registered as Negmar Denizcilik Yatırım, the company was founded in 2008. Negmar Denizcilik, which was established with the partnership of Saudi Arabia-based multinational Nesma Holding and Turkish Fertilizer Factories TAŞ (Gübretaş), is managed by Mehmet Koç, the General Manager and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.Talking about Negmar Shipping, Koç said that there are incorrect information about the ships his companies bought in the past. Towards the end of 2011, news emerged that Negmar Denizcilik bought 3 old second-hand LNG ships. Mehmet Koç stated that their company has no connection with these ships.Talking about the fleet of his company, Mehmet Koç stated that they have three handysize type dry cargo vessels and two small general cargo vessels. Koç stated that the most important part of their fleet is currently the two 38 thousand cubic meter LPG carriers built at Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).There were news in the press that the orders for the ships were placed in July of last year and that they had a price of 50 million dollars per ship. According to published reports, Negmar would sell the ships after purchasing them. Mehmet Koç, who denied the news, did not comment further on the fate of the ships. However, he also stated that they received offers for the purchase of ships from many companies and that the sale was not completely removed from the table.“When we build ships, we do not plan to keep them with us for the rest of our lives like our spouses. You only order something when you believe it’s the right time to buy it,” said Koç, adding that the LNG tanker being built is just the beginning. Apart from LPG and dry cargo ships, Negmar also has two Ro-Ro and three Ropax ships under its control.WE WILL OPEN A NEW LINE IN THE SEA OF MARMARASpeaking about the ships, Mehmet Koç stated that 5 ships were purchased from Greek shipowners under the name of Istanbul Lines last year. Stating that he is trying to start a new line in the Marmara Sea, Koç stated that he could not get it ready for operation yet.According to Koç, one of the most important advantages of Negmar Shipping is that it started its business life after the 2008 crisis. “I think the likelihood of us becoming a well-known figure in the LPG and LNG industry is very high because our partners are big enough to enable us to achieve that,” he said. Expressing that the LPG market is extremely small, so everyone in the industry knows each other, Koç stated that Negmar is the new kid in the market and that they cannot predict what direction the LNG market will follow.ENTERING THE LNG MARKET WILL BE DIFFICULT IN SHORT DISTANCEMehmet Koç, Vice Chairman of the Board of Negmar Shipping; “It will be very difficult for us to enter the market in the short term, but when we reach, let’s say, eight to ten ships, we will be one of the good players in the market,” he said. Expressing that Negmar will technically control both newly built ships, Koç did not give any information about how the ships will be used commercially.While talking about Negmar’s interest in the LNG sector, Koç, who remained very mysterious and enthusiastic, said, “I think we can become a partner of one of the big companies.” Expressing that instead of establishing a new company and ordering expensive ships from scratch, Koç stated that Negmar can buy the shares of large LNG operators and stated that Negmar’s dry tonnage will be sold over time, with a pessimistic view of the dry cargo sector. He said, “When we buy a few more new LPG vessels, we will gradually sell the remaining dry cargoes” and stated that the dry cargo vessels will operate for as long as possible and then they will be sent for dismantling.Mehmet Koç, Vice Chairman of the Board of Negmar Denizcilik, said, “We love the LPG sector, I am somehow confident that you will not lose money as an entrepreneur with LPG.”