The Swedish merchant fleet decreased from 254 vessels to 89 through 2001-2017. However, the downward trend has now been reversed thanks to Furetank’s five vessels, three of which are newly built and powered by LNG, joining the registry.
In addition, Älvtank will also switch two newly built vessels and Erik Thun will change the flag of one vessel to Sweden.
“We had a great co-operation with the maritime trade unions for many years, which has been of great importance for our decision to change into the Swedish flag,” Lars Höglund, CEO of Furetank, explained.
The Swedish Shipowners’Association said that the country’s shipping has seen improvement in its conditions through a series of measures implemented by the government, the trade unions and the Swedish shipping sector, including the introduction of tonnage tax system, regulatory simplifications, inspection delegation and TAP agreements.
“The Swedish flag is now so attractive that it should be able to attract more shipping companies and ships in the future,” Rikard Engström, Swedish Shipowners’ Association CEO, said.