Greek Tsakos Energy Navigation has confirmed the acquisition of five ‘high-spec environmentally friendly vessels,’ as the company characteristically says, from Norway’s Viken Crude AS.
The fleet is comprised of two 2023-built dual-fuel LNG LR2 aframaxes, one 2019-built ‘super-eco’ suezmax, and two 1A ice-class scrubber-fitted aframaxes, built in 2018 and 2019.
The shipowner Nikolas Tsakos, founder of Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN), gave information about the payment of the ships, mentioning that TEN will fund the purchase with cash-at-hand and bank finance.
Tsakos also revealed that the vessels are chartered to a major energy company, but didn’t disclose the name.
The vessels have an average employment of two years with fixed and profit-sharing features totaling over $100m in minimum gross revenues.
With this acquisition, TEN’s LNG-powered tankers, after the recent delivery of its four-new vessel program, increases to six, its scrubber-fitted vessels to 12, its vessels with ice-class capabilities to 17 and the pro-forma fleet to 72 diversified ships of all categories.
George Saroglou, president and COO of TEN, noted: “Following the sale of 9 first generation vessels in the last 12 months and having initiated our LNG-powered tanker renewal program, we are delighted to acquire this modern eco fleet and underscore TEN’s commitment to operate environmentally friendly vessels to meet the increasing demands of our blue-chip clientele,”
“With 11 vessels now joining TEN going forward, including the six under construction, the revenue growth capacity of the fleet and its expected impact to the bottom line, is materially enhanced.”
TEN’s fleet currently consists of 72 double-hull vessels, including two DP2 shuttle tankers, two scrubber-fitted suezmax vessels and two scrubber-fitted MR product tankers under construction, constituting a mix of crude tankers, product tankers and LNG carriers, totaling 8.8 million dwt.
