ESL Shipping's second LNG-fueled dry cargo vessel

ASPO PLC / ESL SHIPPING LTD          PRESS RELEASE             September 22, 2017 ESL Shipping's second LNG-fueled dry cargo vessel was named Haaga

The second LNG-fueled dry cargo vessel of ESL Shipping, a member of the Aspo Group, was named today at the Jinling shipyard in Nanjing, China. The vessel was named Haaga in honor of the shipping company's tradition of naming its ships for places in Helsinki. The vessel's godmother is Tiina Lencioni , the wife of Roberto Lencioni, vice chairman of the Board of Directors of Aspo. According to her request, the naming gift was donated to Save the Children International's Search and Rescue project to help child refugees in the Mediterranean.

The highly energy-efficient, LNG-fueled vessel, 160 m long and 26,000 dwt, is significantly more eco-friendly than the current generation of vessels and produces more than 50 percent less carbon dioxide emissions.

"Our wonderful shipping company investment is almost at the finish line. These next-generation vessels are helping our shipping company to reduce its carbon footprint and to improve its competitiveness and profitability," says Aki Ojanen , CEO of Aspo Plc and chairman of the Board of Directors of ESL Shipping.

"We are very pleased with the building quality of Viikki and Haaga . Now, we will receive excellent and efficient tools for green sea transportation in the future," says Mikki Koskinen , Managing Director of ESL Shipping.

Haaga and its sister ship Viikki will start operating on the Baltic Sea during the first half of 2018. This construction project is part of the Bothnia Bulk project, partly funded by the EU. Its objective is to modernize the sea route between Luleå, Oxelösund and Raahe to be more eco-friendly. These vessels have been designed in Finland, and European equipment suppliers account for roughly 60 percent of the total value of the vessel investments. For more information: Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director, ESL Shipping Ltd, tel. +358 50 351 7791, mikki.koskinen@eslshipping.com M/S Haaga, technical specification

DWT             25,600 GT / NT         18,912 / 7,631 Length           160.00 m Width             26.00 m Depth            10.00 m Main engine  Dual Fuel MAN B&W 5G45ME-C9.5-GI + PTO/PTI, total shaft line power 7,250 kW Ice class        1A More information about the new vessels: http://www.eslshipping.com/blog/topic/lng Facts of solutions related to eco-friendliness: https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/1793551/Docume...ldings.pdf Attachments: Photo 1, 2 ESL Shipping is the leading carrier of dry bulk cargoes. ESL Shipping ensures availability of raw materials for industries and energy production throughout the year even in difficult climate conditions. Special services include loading and lightering of large ocean carriers at sea. The company's fleet consists of 14 vessels, of which the company owns 13 in full and one is leased. In 2016, the cargo volume carried by ESL Shipping amounted to approximately 10.7 million tons. Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in Northern Europe and growth markets focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kauko - aim to be the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own operations, customer relationships and the development of these. Together they generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are continually developed without any predefined schedules.  DISTRIBUTION: Key media www.aspo.com www.eslshipping.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...70e50a4d03

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/Attachm...8ce381a180