Athens-based pool operator and shipmanager Heidmar has pulled the plug on its first-ever vessel acquisition after mutually terminating the deal a feeder containership.
The Nasdaq-listed company said the agreement, announced last July, has been terminated in line with its terms. The deposit paid has been returned in full, and the company said there is no financial impact from the cancellation.
The deal had marked a milestone for Heidmar, signalling a move beyond its traditional role as a pure-play commercial and technical manager. In July, the Pankaj Khanna-led group revealed it had agreed to buy the 2008-built 1,702 teu feeder A Obelix for $25.25m from Evangelos Marinakis’ Capital Ship Management.
At the time, the vessel was due for delivery between August and September 2025 and was fixed on a roughly 2.5-year charter with a major operator. Heidmar said the charter was expected to generate $17m to $20m in aggregate EBITDA.
The acquisition was structured under Heidmar’s capital-light co-investment model, with the company teaming up with external investors while taking on full commercial and technical management of the ship. The transaction would have been Heidmar’s first vessel purchase since listing on Nasdaq and a clear step into asset-backed operations, extending beyond its core tanker and dry bulk management business.
Despite the deal falling through, Heidmar has continued to grow its managed fleet. Late last year, the company added an LR2 newbuilding under commercial management, delivered from a Vietnamese yard in mid-November 2025.
Further additions were lined up, including two MR newbuildings on time charter from a Korean shipyard, both scheduled for delivery in February 2026 and to be managed by Heidmar on the technical side. Two additional MR tankers are also set to join the fleet under commercial management during the first quarter of 2026.
