Image: Carl-Antoine Saverys – CEO from 1 January 2024. Photo credit: Exmar.
Exmar has placed an order for four newbuild suezmax tankers, with an option to order four more. The LPG and ammonia owner-operator said the vessels will be built by Daehan Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., at their Mokpo shipyard, in South Korea, with the first vessel scheduled for delivery in the third quarter of 2027.
The vessels will have a deadweight of 157,200 ton, capable of transporting about 1 million of barrels of oil and fitted with a scrubber. According to the company, the order is placed in view of the strong prospects for the suezmax market.
The Belgian shipowner, with an expertise in ammonia, LPG and liquefied gasses, currently has 14 vessels under construction, of which 8 are fully owned and 6 are chartered through a partnership with a Japanese entity.
During the first quarter, two 46,000 cbm dual-fuel LPG newbuilds, Champagny and Courchevel, were delivered and are operating with ‘top-tier clients,’ according to the company.
Exmar is scheduled to take delivery of Meribel, a 41,000 cbm dual-fuel LPG vessel, at the end of 2025, along with an additional eight newbuilds throughout 2026.
Meanwhile, the sale of Waregem (38,000 cbm, built 2015) was finalized, and divestment of older pressurized vessels operating East of Suez continued: Debbie (3,500 cbm) and Helane (5,000 cbm) were delivered to their buyers earlier this year, with Anne (3,500cbm) scheduled for delivery during the summer and Fatime (5,000 cbm) early 2026.
