SFL Corporation has agreed to acquire two 8,800 TEU container vessels and a 93,000-cubic-metre dual-fuel Very Large Ammonia Carrier (VLAC) for a combined investment of approximately US$365 million, further expanding its fleet and long-term charter portfolio.
The two container vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2027, while the ammonia carrier is expected to be delivered in 2028.
SFL has secured minimum eight-year time charters for the container vessels with an unnamed leading liner company. The agreements include extension options of up to four additional years, along with purchase options for the charterer at the end of years eight, 10 and 12, subject to profit-sharing arrangements with SFL.
The ammonia carrier has been chartered to a global commodities company for a minimum period of five years from delivery, with an option to extend the agreement by up to two years. The charterer will also have the option to arrange a sale of the vessel during the final two years of the firm charter period under a profit-sharing mechanism.
New Charters Add US$333 Million to Backlog
The three new vessel acquisitions and associated charter agreements will contribute at least US$333 million to SFL’s fixed-rate charter backlog. The total value could increase further if the charterers exercise their extension options.
Commenting on the transactions, Ole B. Hjertaker, CEO of SFL Management, said the company was pleased to continue building its asset portfolio by combining newbuildings with early delivery schedules and charters secured with existing high-quality counterparties.
He added that acquisitions and new charter agreements announced so far in 2026 had increased SFL’s fixed-rate charter backlog by more than US$1.6 billion.
The latest transactions reinforce SFL’s strategy of expanding its diversified maritime asset portfolio through long-term charter arrangements across the container shipping and emerging alternative-fuel vessel segments.