Veteran lender Harris Antoniou is back in shipping through a new lease-finance business that has the Latsis family of Greece as its anchor investor.

Antoniou told TradeWinds in an interview on Monday that his Neptune Maritime recognises both the retreat of traditional financiers from the sector and owners' need to meet the mounting decarbonisation mandates from regulators.

"It's a homecoming for me," Antoniou said.