Greek owner Metrostar Management has re-entered the MR tanker newbuilding market with a pair of 50,000-dwt product carriers under construction at South Korea’s HD Hyundai Mipo, according to Metrostar Management’s fleet list.
The Angelopoulos family-linked company identifies the vessels as HN 2973 and HN 2974, both scheduled for delivery in 2028. The ships are listed as DNV-classed, Liberia-flagged MR tankers, each measuring 183 metres in length and 32.2 metres in beam.
The order puts Metrostar back into a segment it exited more than a decade ago. The Athens-based owner says it ordered 10 MR tankers in South Korea in 2012 and sold those vessels, together with its Panamax container ships, in 2014.
Market sources have put the price at close to $53m per ship, although no contract value has been confirmed by the companies.
The move comes during a strong year for tanker ordering. Xclusiv Shipbrokers data shows 53 MR tankers had been contracted globally by the end of May, placing the segment among the most active tanker newbuilding categories after VLCCs and Suezmaxes.
Metrostar Management Corp. was established in Athens in 1996 and is active in ship ownership and management. The company says it has completed 214 vessel transactions and 83 newbuilding contracts at shipyards in South Korea and Japan.
HD Hyundai Mipo is a South Korean shipbuilder within the HD Hyundai shipbuilding group. The yard builds mid-sized commercial vessels, including product and chemical tankers.
