Yasa Shipping has acquired two 204,950DWT Newcastlemax bulk carriers from Rio Tinto Shipping in a transaction reported this week.
RTM Drake (pictured) has been renamed Yasa Drake, while RTM Tasman is now Yasa Pioneer. The purchases give Yasa five of the eight Newcastlemax vessels sold by Rio Tinto since the beginning of 2026.
The sale price and delivery arrangements were not disclosed.
Yasa’s earlier purchases from Rio Tinto began with RTM Cartier and RTM Zheng He. The two 2012-built, 205,507DWT ships were acquired for a combined US$45 million in April and renamed Yasa Team and Yasa Unity, respectively. The 2013-built, 204,950DWT RTM Cabot followed in June.
The three earlier acquisitions established Yasa as the main buyer in Rio Tinto’s vessel disposal programme, accounting for more than half of the Newcastlemaxes sold.
The vessels came from an eight-ship series ordered by Rio Tinto from a South Korean yard in 2010. The vessels were designed for the large-volume dry-bulk trades typically served by Newcastlemax tonnage.
Following the latest disposals, Rio Tinto’s active owned fleet consists of four Post-Panamax bulk carriers and two Panamax bulk carriers.
The sales form part of Rio Tinto’s reduction of owned tonnage as it changes its fleet mix and pursues lower shipping emissions.
