Maran Tankers has also entered the rally of the newbuilding VLCC market, having agreed to the construction of four tankers at South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean, 4 years after its last order for this type of vessel.
Hanwha Ocean confirmed the agreement on Monday, citing the order for four VLCC tankers with a carrying capacity of 320,000 dwt. The cost for each vessel is expected to reach 129 million dollars. Sources from the shipbuilding industry linked this specific order to the Greek shipping company headed by Maria Angelicoussis.
This move serves to seal the long-term relationship that exists between the Greek shipping company and the shipyard. Maran has acquired approximately 20 VLCCs from the Hanwha Ocean group when it operated as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Maran’s latest newbuilding VLCCs — ordered at Samsung Heavy Industries in 2021 and delivered in 2023 — are the most recent additions to a fleet numbering almost 30 VLCC tankers.
The group has focused in recent years on the construction of newbuilding “shuttle tankers” in China and South Korea. But with increasing demand, Maran has also joined the club of VLCC tanker construction, which already includes Greek and European shipowners.
Hanwha Ocean has been particularly active this year, securing agreements for the construction of VLCC tankers from Capital Maritime, Tsakos and Scorpio, which is a company specializing mainly in product tankers.
Chinese shipyards, and specifically Hengli Shipbuilding, constitute another pole of attraction for shipowners, with more than 20 VLCC orders having been recorded to date.
The four newbuilding vessels are expected to be delivered to Maran in late 2028.
