Tanker and heavylift order spree adds to Asian shipbuilding backlog

· Shipping · South Korea · China

Ordering activity clustered in Asian yards on Monday. JPMorgan signed for two more VLCC newbuildings at South Korea's Hanwha Ocean, lifting its crude tanker orderbook to 12 vessels across Chinese and South Korean shipyards; shipbuilding sources linked the deal to the Wall Street bank's maritime investment arm. Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Maritime Development contracted four 50,000 dwt MR product tankers at Jiangsu Haifeng Shipbuilding in China, extending a tanker ordering programme at that yard this year. Singapore-based Asia Break Bulk secured four 12,600 dwt multipurpose heavylift newbuildings through a long-term deal with Schoeller Holdings; the Octopus-type vessels, designed by China's CSSC-SDARI, will carry two 250-tonne cranes capable of tandem lifts of up to 500 tonnes. Separately, Wallenius Wilhelmsen won a three-year car-carrier contract worth about $700m with a major Asian automaker.

Why it matters：Financial investors and Asian owners are locking in tanker and multipurpose capacity years ahead, tightening yard slots and signaling confidence in crude and breakbulk trades.

Key points

  • JPMorgan's VLCC orderbook now totals 12 vessels across Chinese and South Korean yards.
  • Yangzijiang Maritime ordered four 50,000 dwt MR product tankers at Jiangsu Haifeng.
  • Asia Break Bulk's newbuildings will have two 250-tonne cranes with 500-tonne tandem lift capacity.

Sources (original reporting)

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