Greek shipping company Thenamaris, owned by Nikolas Martinos, has joined the recent surge in crude oil tanker orders, according to Greek media outlet Riviera. This comes shortly after the company completed a large-scale newbuilding program.
Shipbrokers and market sources have disclosed that Thenamaris has placed an order for two Suezmax tankers with a shipyard under China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC). Specific pricing details for the order have not yet been disclosed. Greek shipbrokers indicate that the current market price for Suezmax tankers is approximately $85 million to $86 million.
Notably, Thenamaris is among the latest Greek shipowners seeking newbuilding slots for crude oil tankers. Previously, Laskaridis Maritime and Dynacom Tankers have placed orders for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) with Hengli Heavy Industries, while TMS Tankers is currently in discussions regarding a potential series order for VLCCs.
In the Suezmax tanker sector, shipowners including Dynacom, Evalend Shipping, New Shipping, Centrofin, Golden Energy, and Atlas Maritime have been active so far this year. European shipbrokers note that driven by robust freight fundamentals and the ongoing aging of the global fleet, the crude oil tanker sector remains at the forefront of shipowners’ newbuilding interests.
For Thenamaris, this order with a Chinese shipyard marks the company’s return to the newbuilding market following the completion of its large-scale new construction program in the bulk carrier and tanker sectors. The previous round of newbuild projects was undertaken by Chinese and South Korean shipyards.
Meanwhile, Thenamaris is actively restructuring its fleet by selling older assets and replacing them with newbuilds or modernized secondhand vessels. Recently, the company re-entered the dry bulk secondhand market by acquiring a modern Kamsarmax bulk carrier.
According to information on the company’s official website, Thenamaris currently operates a fleet of 91 vessels, including 51 tankers, 24 bulk carriers, 8 liquefied natural gas carriers, 6 liquefied petroleum gas carriers, and 2 container ships.