On February 15, ORIX Corporation (ORIX) announced that it has signed a share transfer agreement with the existing shareholders of leading Japanese shipowner Santoku Senpaku Co., Ltd. (Santoku Senpaku). ORIX plans to acquire all issued shares in the company by the end of March 2024.
ORIX intends to enhance profitability and business growth in partnership with Santoku Senpaku by drawing on ORIX Group’s domestic and international sales networks, corporate management knowhow and solid financial foundation. This will allow ORIX to conduct comprehensive ship operation management in-house and provide asset management services for ships owned by third-parties.
Established in 1972 and built up by the founding president over a single generation, Santoku Senpaku owns, leases and manages the operation of ships. Originally entering the market as a seafarer dispatch business, the company expanded its fields of operation to the ownership of both ocean-going and coastal ships.
As one of Japan’s largest ship owners, Santoku Senpaku currently owns 67 ships of various types—including bulk carriers that transport iron ore, grain, and other cargo; car carriers; and container vessels—and leases its fleet to leading Japanese and overseas natural resources companies and grain companies. Santoku Senpaku operates an international and multi-faceted ship business.
In addition to carrying out in-house seafarer training and dispatch, and ship maintenance and management, the company also undertakes operation management work for ships owned by other companies. In recent years, it has sought to transition to the use of cutting-edge environmentally friendly ships, placing orders for car carriers capable of operating on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
In 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, reinforced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets to “net-zero by around 2050” for international shipping. Reducing environmental impact from maritime industry has been a critical issue. ORIX and Santoku Senpaku aim to address the environmental impact reduction of the maritime industry by diversifying its fleets, including the adoption of next-generation environmentally friendly ships. Additionally, in Japan the companies will tackle the modal shift in transportation to coastal shipping as part of efforts to decarbonize the industry.
ORIX has more than 50 years’ experience in shipping, beginning in Japan in the late 1960s with a secondhand ship leasing business and since then building up expertise in ship investment (owning and operations); ship purchases, sales, and brokerage; and international ship financing. ORIX will continue to draw on its experience and expertise to support the growth of maritime industries that possess stable business foundations and provide high-quality services.