Low profile Japanese owner Meiji Shipping is readying a dramatic fleet expansion.
The Tokyo-headquartered diverse owner is currently listed with 47 ships in its fleet with an average age of six years, according to data from VesselsValue. The fleet is a mix of bulkers, tankers, LPG and vehicle carriers.
Meiji Shipping uses MMSI India from Mumbai for a great deal of its shipmanagement needs. MMSI India held a tanker seminar recently, with senior officials from Meiji invited. MMSI India revealed that it will take an additional 300 senior officers and engineers this year as its managed fleet expands.
“By the year 2020, Meiji Shipping Group aims to expand its fleet size to at least 200 ultra modern vessels,” MMSI India stated in a release sent to Splash.
MMSI India, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Meikai Marine Services, was originally a part of Meiji Shipping, a line whose origins date back to 1911. If, as anticipated, its fleet does swell to 200 ships that would place Meiji Shipping firmly within the top eight owners in Japan.
Meiji Shipping’s last orders were late in 2015 for a quartet of Tsuneishi aframaxes.