It has acquired the 55,695-dwt Top Harmony and Top Freedom (both built 2005) and the 55,710-dwt Top Island (built 2006) it said Thursday.
The acquisition increases the Thoresen-owned fleet to 23 vessels with an average size of 50,402-dwt and an average age of 10.6 years.
Thoresen said it expects to take delivery of the ships between the end of March and late June.
Confirmation of the deal, first reported in TradeWinds last month, takes to five the number of ships Thoresen has bought in the last four months.
In November Thoresen bought the 55,862-dwt Medi Chennai (built 2006) for a price said to have been below $20m.
Two months later it acquired the 56,023-dwt Ikan Serong (built 2006) for what it described as “an attractive market price” thought to be close to $23m.
“As demand growth in the dry bulk trade begins to outpace supply, freight rates are expected to start edging upwards, which is also likely to boost the prices of second hand and newbuild vessels,” Thoresen Shipping managing director Ian Claxton said earlier this year.
He also said the shipowner would continue to “look for further opportunities to continue our fleet expansion through the remainder of the year.”
Late last month the shipowner reported its strongest first quarter in three years on the back of improved freight rates.
