Newbuilding Bulker Orders Picking Up the Pace

Orders for newbuilding bulkers are still among the main choice by ship owners. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Banchero Costa said that “interesting activity reported in the dry bulk newbuilding market: Singapore based Owner Winning International Group booked an order for 6 x 325,000 dwt ore carriers at Hengli Heavy Industries, the former STX Dalian. The Vessel, which will be employed for W Africa-China bauxite trade, will be dual fuel methanol ready and should be delivered from 2026 to 2027. The estimated price should be of around $118 mln per vessel”.

The shipbroker added that “in the tanker market, Brave Maritime ordered 2 x 50,000 dwt MR tankers at Hyundai Mipo for a total price of $108 mln. Deliveries in 2026 through to 2027. Turkey’s Transka Tankers set out to expand its fleet with 3 x 40,800 dwt Chinese-built Handy tankers. The 3 vessels will be built at Wuhu Shipyard and deliveries are expected in March, July and November 2027. German shipowner TB Marine placed an order for 4 x 22,000 dwt chemical tankers at Ningbo Xinle. Option retained for an additional 4 vessels, potentially bringing the total order to eight. The four ships will be delivered starting in 2027. For now, the price remains undisclosed. Fratelli Cosulich contracted 2 x 7,999 dwt methanol-ready bunkering tankers at Taizhou Maple Leaf, in China. The vessels are engineered to transport a variety of cargoes, such as fuel oil, biofuels, and methanol. The order includes options for 2 additional units. Delivery of the first vessel is set in the first half of 2026”, Banchero Costa said.

Meanwhile, in the S&P market, shipbroker Xclusiv said that in the dry bulk segment, “on the Post-Panamax sector, the Scrubber fitted “Claas Oldendorff” – 96K/2013 Imabari was sold for USD 27 mills to Asian buyers, while the 5-year old Kamsarmax “BW Kobe” – 82K/2019 Tsuneishi Cebu was sold for USD 37 mills to Korean buyers. A couple of enbloc sales were seen in the Handy space. Clients of Precious Shipping acquired 4x 39K Handysizes enbloc, the “Western Durban” – 39K/2015 JNS, the “Western Lima” – 39K/2015 JNS, the “Western Miami” – 39K/2015 JNS and the “Western Paris”- 39K/2015 JNS for shade below USD 78 mills. Furthermore, on the same sector, the “Voge Mia” – 37K/2011 HMD and the “Voge Emma” – 37K/2011 HMD found new owners for low USD 15 mills each”. On the tanker market, the MR2 “Zeze Start” – 50K/2009 HMD, which found new owners for high USD 27 mills basis SS/DD due. On the MR1 sector, the “Clotilde” – 38K/2008 GSI changed hands for region USD 23 mills, the shipbroker said.

Banchero Costa added that “a lot of interest was recorded in the Handysize segment . Modern eco Handysize Maestro Emerald 40,000 dwt built 2020 Saiki was sold to C. of Deval at $30.3 mln, earlier this year the sister Maestro Sapphire was reported at $28 mln. Far Eastern buyers were reported to be behind pruchase of 4 x Handies en bloc Western Durban/ Western Lima/ Western Miami/ Western Paris 39,000 dwt built 2015 JNS (Eco – Emerald design) at mid/high $19 mln. The Turkish controlled SSI Daring 36,000 dwt built 2017 Shikoku was reported sold at $26.7 mln to C. of HMM. The vessel was purchased by present owners earlier this year at $24 mln. In the tanker market the Norwegian controlled Zeze Start 50,000 dwt built 2009 HMD ( SS/DD due July 2024) was sold to Far Eastern buyers at $27.5 mln. The Handy Clotilde 38,000 dwt built 2008 GSI (SS due 2028 BWTS fitted) was reported at $23 mln, a couple of weeks ago the sister Atlas Star was sold at $22.5 mln”.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide