Dutch shipowner Royal Wagenborg has announced an agreement to sell two ice-class RoRo vessels—the Bothniaborg and the Balticborg—to Swedish shipowner Wallenius SOL, marking its formal exit from the pure RoRo shipping sector.
The transaction includes the transfer of long-term charter contracts held with the paper group Smurfit Westrock. The sale price was not disclosed.
The two RoRo vessels Royal Wagenborg is set to sell were both built in 2004, meet Finnish-Swedish Ice Class 1A standards, and offer a RoRo capacity of approximately 1,635 lane meters each.
Upon completion of the acquisition, Wallenius SOL’s fleet—which already comprises vessel types such as RoRo vessels, hybrid RoRo vessels, and feeder container ships—will gain two additional ice-capable vessels.
Royal Wagenborg said the sale would allow the company to focus on its core ice-grade breakbulk shipping business. In early July 2026, the company cooperated with Carisbrooke Shipping and ordered 8+2 7,400 DWT 1A ice-class multi-purpose vs from Dajin Heavy Industry. The first batch of 8 ships is expected to be delivered from the third quarter of 2027 to early 2029; if the two alternative ships are effective, they are expected to be delivered in mid-2029.
Data indicates that Royal Wagenborg operates the largest fleet of general cargo and multi-purpose vessels in Europe, comprising approximately 160 vessels with a maximum individual capacity of 23,000 DWT; its operations are primarily concentrated on Baltic Sea routes, and the vast majority of its vessels are capable of ice-breaking operations.