On January 23, d’Amico International Shipping (DIS), a tanker owner, announced that its subsidiary d’Amico Tankers D.A.C. has signed a contract with New Yangzi Shipbuilding, a subsidiary of Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Industry Group, to order two MR2 product tankers. This also marks the first publicly announced order for China’s largest private shipbuilder, Yangtze Shipbuilding, in 2026.
This type of product tanker has a deadweight capacity of 50,000 tons, with a contract price of $45.4 million per vessel and a total contract value of $90.8 million. The two newbuildings are scheduled for delivery in March and June 2029, respectively. Additionally, d’Amico Tankers holds an option to order two further vessels of the same type within two months of signing the shipbuilding contract.
DIS states that the new MR2 tanker will achieve exceptional operational efficiency. Thanks to optimized hull design and enhanced main engine efficiency, its average daily fuel consumption at design draft and under normal continuous engine power operation will be approximately 17% lower than DIS’s existing eco-friendly MR2 vessels. The new vessel will also feature methanol fuel compatibility, obtain B100 biofuel certification, and incorporate cybersecurity protection capabilities.
It is reported that on December 29 last year, DIS announced the signing of a contract with another Chinese shipyard, Guangzhou Shipyard International, for the construction of two 40,000 DWT MR1 product tankers. The total order value is $86.4 million, with deliveries scheduled for April and July 2029.
Earlier in April and May 2024, DIS placed two separate orders with New Yangzi Shipbuilding for four 75,000 DWT LR1 product tankers, with the total order value reaching $223.2 million. These two orders ended DIS’s nine-year drought in newbuild orders, as the last time this shipowner placed a shipbuilding order was back in 2015.
With the latest orders, DIS’s total newbuild order book now stands at eight vessels (four LR1s, two MR1s, and two MR2s), representing a total investment of approximately $412.6 million. Except for the two MR1s being built by Guangzhou Shipyard International, the remaining six product tankers are under construction at New Yangzi Shipbuilding.
DIS is a subsidiary of d’Amico Società di Navigazione S.p.A., one of the world’s leading privately owned shipping companies, specializing in the product tanker sector. Its fleet primarily transports refined petroleum products, chemicals, and vegetable oils. As of now, DIS’s fleet comprises 29 double-hulled product tankers (including MR, Flexible, and LR1 types, with 27 owned vessels and 2 bareboat chartered vessels), averaging approximately 9.6 years in age and ranging in deadweight tonnage from 35,000 to 75,000 tons.