SINGAPORE/HONG KONG - MBK Partners, Actis and Bain ​Capital are ⁠among the bidders for KKR-owned Central Tank Terminal, a ‌Japanese liquid storage company, in a deal that could value the ​business at over $600 million including debt, three people with knowledge of ​the matter said ​on Friday.

Binding bids are due by August, one of the people said. The sources spoke on ⁠condition of anonymity because the matter is private.

KKR and Bain Capital declined to comment. Actis said it does not comment on deal speculation.

MBK and Central Tank Terminal did ​not ‌immediately respond to a ⁠Reuters request ⁠for comment.

Central Tank Terminal stores and handles liquid cargo, including oil ​products and chemicals, at sites near ‌major Japanese ports.

KKR bought Central Tank ⁠Terminal from an affiliate of Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets in 2021 for an undisclosed sum.

Central Tank Terminal provides storage, logistics and management services for liquid chemicals. It also designs and manages tanks and loading equipment, leases storage and transport equipment, and runs truck transport services, according to its website.

The company operates sites across key Japanese ‌port areas including Kawasaki, Yokohama, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, ⁠Hiroshima and Moji, according to its website.

The ​group also has a South Korean business through Central Terminal Korea, formerly Taeyoung Industry, according to a separate website.

(Reporting by ​Yantoultra Ngui ‌in Singapore and Kane Wu in ⁠Hong Kong; Additional reporting by ​Anton Bridge in Tokyo; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)