Suisse-Atlantique, the Swiss bulk carrier owner controlled by the Andre family, is expanding its fleet and has ordered five Ultramax bulk carriers from Chinese shipyards.
Industry sources indicate that Suisse-Atlantique has placed an order with Jingjiang Nanyang Shipbuilding for five 63,500 DWT Ultramax bulk carriers. Each vessel is valued at approximately $33.5 million, with the total order worth around $167.5 million. Deliveries are scheduled between 2028 and 2029.
Notably, the bulk carrier order placed with Jingjiang Nanyang Shipbuilding marks Suisse-Atlantique’s first newbuild contract in China. Previously, bulk carrier orders were primarily constructed by Japanese and Vietnamese shipyards.
Suisse-Atlantique was established in 1941 and currently operates approximately 10 bulk carriers ranging from Handymax to Supramax vessels. The shipowner’s last newbuilding order was placed in 2019, marking a seven-year interval since its previous order for two Ultramax bulk carriers from TSUNEISHI HEAVY INDUSTRIES (CEBU), Philippines.
In addition to returning to the newbuilding market, Suisse-Atlantique is also active in the second-hand ship market, having already purchased a handysize bulk carrier built in 2017 for its fleet by the end of 2025.
It is understood that the aforementioned five bulk carriers represent Jiangmen Nanyang Shipbuilding’s first publicly announced shipbuilding contract in 2026. By 2025, the shipyard is expected to undertake at least 12 new vessels, all of which will be bulk carriers.
According to the official Weibo account of Yingjiang Nanyang Shipbuilding, the company was established in early 2005 and is located in Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province. It operates two factory sites covering a total area of 915 mu (approximately 60.3 hectares), with a total workshop area of 140,000 square meters. The facility is capable of constructing vessels under 100,000 tons, boasting an annual production capacity of 1.6 million deadweight tons. Currently specializing in the construction of handy-size bulk carriers, the shipbuilder has delivered over 150 vessels to date.