Petrobras subsidiary Transpetro orders four Handymax tankers from local shipyards

Transpetro has finalised negotiations with a consortium comprising shipyards Ecovix in Rio Grande and MacLaren in Niterói for the acquisition of four 15,000- to 18,000DWT Handymax coastal tankers. The final price was US$69.5 million per vessel.

Signing of the contract is scheduled for the start of 2025, when Transpetro said it would also be launching a new tender for the acquisition of eight gas carriers.

The deal marks the start of the first contracts for the Petrobras "system fleet renewal and expansion program" (TP 25), designed to ensure an increase in the transportation of oil derivatives along the Brazilian coast.

The new ships will also expand Transpetro’s capacity to serve Petrobras, reducing its exposure to the chartering of this type of tanker, which has low market liquidity.

"With TP 25 we will expand by at least 25 per cent the logistics capacity of Transpetro and this is one more of the measures we are adopting to resume a path of growth for the company,” said Transpetro President Sérgio Bacci.

“In addition the future tenders included in TP 25 will ensure a permanent demand, which will stimulate the renewal of the marine industry in the country."