Tankers

Tanker News Roundup | January 8 – Japan-India VLEC joint venture, Greek multi-gas carrier delivery and more

Baird Maritime

Deliveries include a VLCC for a Bermuda operator and a multi-gas carrier for a Greek company. Two Chinese yards have meanwhile secured new orders from local and overseas customers. Finally, two companies have formed a joint venture with the aim of operating newbuild ethane carriers for global trade.

Greece's Capital Maritime welcomes new multi-gas carrier to fleet

Active

Greek shipping company the Capital Maritime Group, via its Capital Clean Energy Carriers (CCEC) business unit, has taken delivery of a new liquefied CO2 (LCO2) carrier built by HD Hyundai Mipo of South Korea.

Active is the first ship in a new series of four multi-gas carriers that HD Hyundai Mipo is building for CCEC.

India's ONGC and MOL form joint venture for ethane shipping, orders VLECs

Rendering of a VLEC

India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) signed joint venture and capital contribution agreements with Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on January 5, 2026.

Under the agreement, the partnership establishes two entities in which ONGC will subscribe to 200,000 equity shares in each company at INR100 ($1.11) per share, resulting in a 50 per cent equity stake for both partners.

Each joint venture will own and operate one very large ethane carrier (VLEC) to transport ethane from the United States to India. The Indian-flagged vessels, with a combined estimated cost of $370 million, will be built at a South Korean shipyard.

China Merchants Energy places order for Suezmax DP2 shuttle tankers

New Amity, an Aframax tanker owned by CMES

China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES) has entered into an agreement to construct a series of 154,000 DWT Suezmax dynamic positioning shuttle tankers (DPST).

The contract, signed through its subsidiary Haihong Steamship Hong Kong, includes one firm vessel and one optional unit with Dalian Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC).

First of four VLCC newbuilds delivered to DHT Holdings

DHT Holdings has taken delivery of a very large crude carrier (VLCC) newbuilding from South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean.

The vessel, named DHT Antelope, has entered the spot market and represents the first in a series of four newbuildings scheduled for delivery during the first half of 2026.

d'Amico Tankers orders two methanol-ready MR1 tankers

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.