Large blue-chip shipowners have the cheapest access to debt finance since the financial crisis, Marine Money heard today.

And with new bank legislation arriving, the balance is likely to tip further in their favour, according to one of the industry’s largest lenders.

Jacob Meldgaard, chief executive of Torm, said bank debt for quality names was clearly available today.

“In general there is quite a lot of pressure on banks to offer prices that are currently the lowest for the past decade, so since the financial crisis I don’t think debt for quality names has been as cheap as it is right now,” he told the conference at the Dorchester Hotel.