On February 13, Moroccan shipowner and operator Scorpio Tankers announced on its official website that it had exercised its option to build two LR2 product tankers with Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC), bringing the total number of such vessels ordered by the two companies to four.
The first two new vessels were announced on December 16, 2025, with a unit cost of approximately US$70.8 million and expected delivery in the third quarter of 2027. Two additional vessels, now considered as options, have a unit cost of US$68.5 million and are expected to be delivered in the third and fourth quarters of 2029. The total cost of the four new vessels is approximately US$279 million (approximately RMB 1.93 billion), and all are equipped with desulfurization systems.
Scorpio Tankers’ latest shipbuilding project is a continuation of its fleet renewal plan announced in December 2025, when the owner sold two LR2 product tankers, the “STI Goal” and “STI Gallantry”, built in 2016, for US$52.3 million each. Delivery to the new owner is expected in the first quarter of 2026. Both vessels will undergo a ten-year special survey and dry-dock maintenance in the second quarter of 2026, with the costs borne by the buyer upon completion of the transaction.
With the addition of the newly added vessels, Scorpio Tankers’ total new vessel order book has increased to 10. The shipowner has extended its fleet renewal plan into late 2030, locking in more modern capacity while continuing to scrap older vessels.
It is understood that Scorpio Tankers, led by Emanuele Lauro, currently operates 91 tankers. In addition to the four LR2 product tankers built by DSIC, its order book also includes four MR product tankers to be delivered in 2026-2027 and two Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) to be delivered in the second half of 2028.