Torm sailing into brighter seas

More wind in the sails for Dampskibsselskabet Norden too

It wasn’t long ago that the troubled Danish tanker operator Torm was teetering on the brink of financial collapse. But now it seems that the company has surfaced from its brush with Davey Jones’s locker.

In a bid to safeguard its future, Torm agreed in October last year to a restructuring of its debt with a group of its lenders led by Oaktree Capital Management, a major US investor, in a bid to safeguard its future. With the restructuring now in place, the company has made strong strides forward.

“Torm has continued to benefit from the strong product tanker market that prevailed in the first half of 2015 when Torm generated an EBITDA of 100 million US dollars,” said chief executive Jacob Meldgaard.

“I am very pleased that Torm finalised its restructuring on 13 July 2015, as the company’s strong operational platform now has financial and strategic flexibility.” In the second quarter of 2015, Torm realised a positive EBITDA of 47 million US dollars and a result before tax that broke even.

Torm, one of the largest product tanker companies in the world, owns 43 tankers, two dry bulk vessels and operates 53 other vessels.

READ MORE: Torm agrees to debt restructuring

145 and still going strong
In related news, one of Denmark’s oldest existing shipping companies, Dampskibsselskabet Norden, which was established back in 1871, also presented a positive financial result for the second quarter.

Dampskibsselskabet Norden’s EBIT for the second quarter of 2015 was 36 million US dollars – the company’s best result in 14 quarters, or three and a half years.

“Norden has performed well during the first half of 2015,” said its chief executive, Jan Rindbo.

“Our Tanker business has utilised the particularly strong markets to generate its best quarterly operating result ever. At the same time, as a result of good coverage and sound business acumen, our dry cargo business has made it decently through an otherwise historically poor first half-year for the dry cargo market.”




  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

  • Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Copenhagen’s international community is not just a demographic trend – it’s a lifeline. Our hospitals, kindergartens, construction sites, laboratories and restaurants rely on talent from all over the world. In fact, more than 40% of all job growth in the city over the past decade has come from international employees.

  • The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    With half of the population of Copenhagen at Roskilde this week, Eva away in Aalborg and the weather being a bit of a joke , Melissa and Rachel bring you a chatty episode to cheer you up looking into three of the top stories in Denmark this week.

  • A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    The Tour de France has started and thus the news focus in Denmark for the next few weeks is defined. The double Tour winner will once again compete with the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar to stand at the top in Paris. Many Danes will daily follow whether one of the nation’s great sons succeeds

  • Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    The 53rd edition of Roskilde Festival ended Saturday night. More than 100,000 people gathered to listen to music, party, drink – and for many to take a stand on the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.


  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system