Singapore and Hamburg: Wilhelmsen Ship Management has agreed to combine its activities in the technical management of container ships. To this end, Wilhelmsen Ship Management has acquired a 50 % stake in Ahrenkiel Steamship GmbH & Co KG, the technical container ship manager within the MPC Capital Group. The deal is subject to regulatory approvals.

In the future, the joint venture will operate under the brand Wilhelmsen Ahrenkiel Ship Management. The company will continue to operate in Hamburg and Rhoon, while supported by Wilhelmsen’s global network. With around 100 employees, the new company will manage a fleet of currently 72 container ships with a focus on feeder container ships with a capacity of 1,000 to 3,000 TEU.

The managing director of the joint venture will be Dr Michael Silies, who has headed Ahrenkiel Steamship since 2015. He is supported by Jan-Eric Panitzki, who will continue to oversee the operational part of the business.

“We are very happy to strengthen our presence in Germany together with a strong partner like MPC Capital,” said Carl Schou, CEO and President of Wilhelmsen Ship Management. “We believe Ahrenkiel Steamship is a good fit as we share many common values.”

Christian Rychly, Managing Director of MPC Capital, said: “We are very pleased to have Wilhelmsen at our side as a strong partner with whom we can consistently expand our shipping activities. We want to offer the best services to our clients and Wilhelmsen’s network and expertise in other shipping segments will improve our position in the container segment.”