d'Amico International Shipping announced that its operating subsidiary, d'Amico Tankers, has signed a shipbuilding contract with Guangzhou Shipyard International in China.
The agreement covers the purchase of two new medium range one (MR1) product tanker vessels at a contract price of $43.2 million each.
These vessels, which feature a deadweight tonnage of 40,000, are expected to be delivered in April and July 2029. d'Amico Tankers also holds an option to order one or two additional ships of the same type within three months of the signing.
Currently, the company fleet consists of 29 double-hulled product tankers across the MR, Handysize, and LR1 segments. The owned and bareboat chartered-in vessels have an average age of approximately 9.5 years.
Chief Executive Officer Carlos di Mottola stated that the new tankers will be the most efficient MR1 vessels in the company fleet.
He remarked that the new ships are expected to consume around four tonnes of fuel oil per day less than existing models while carrying eight per cent more cargo.
According to d’Amico, the new vessels will be methanol-ready and designed for “cyber resilience”. They will also be equipped to receive onshore power.
The investment of $86.4 million follows the sale of the four oldest vessels in the fleet over the last two years. di Mottola noted that a limited orderbook and an ageing global fleet in this segment support the competitive position of these new tankers.