Dutch lender NIBC Bank has passed the €1bn ($1bn) mark in its shipping portfolio, with eyes set on further growth.
The Hague-based NIBC focuses on asset-based financing solutions for smaller and medium-sized owners who have largely been neglected by traditional shipping banks.
The bank has been active in the maritime industry for more than five decades, offering asset financing for international shipping firms, primarily based in the North-West of Europe, as well as in Athens, New York and Singapore.
“We have proven to be a steady and reliable partner in all stages of the shipping cycle, and we see that the financing need for shipowners is growing,” said Michael de Visser, head of shipping at NIBC.
NIBC recently closed the financing of two MR product tankers for Pareto Business Management as a corporate manager and offloaded the remaining part of the original €1.5bn offshore energy portfolio to boost its ESG profile.
In addition to ship financing, NIBC said it also helps finance ballast water treatment systems, scrubbers and other fuel efficiency measures to help shipowners reduce the impacts of vessels on the environment and decarbonise.
“NIBC has always been active in the smaller and medium-sized segments and we will continue to focus on specifically this group of business, with the ambition to grow our shipping portfolio further,” remarked de Visser.
