Swiss tanker owner/operator Advantage Tankers has further strengthened its order backlog by ordering two new vessels from a Chinese shipyard, continuing to enhance its presence in the large tanker sector. This order is also seen as a significant move by the shipowner to adjust its shipbuilding strategy.
According to newbuilding order data on Advantage Tankers’ official website, the company has ordered two 307,000 DWT Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) from China State Shipbuilding Corporation Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC). The newbuilds feature a dual-fuel-ready design and are scheduled for delivery in the second quarter of 2028 and the third quarter of 2029, respectively. They will be named “Advantage Venture” and “Advantage Voyager.”
It is worth noting that this new ship order placed by Advantage Tankers with DSIC marks a departure from the shipping company’s long-standing strategy of relying primarily on South Korean shipyards. Against the backdrop of increasingly fierce competition for shipbuilding slots at major global shipyards, Advantage Tankers’ decision to place its first new ship order with DSIC signifies a significant shift in its shipbuilding strategy.
However, this is not the first time Advantage Tankers has chosen a Chinese shipyard to build a vessel. According to its newbuilding order data, the company previously placed an order with Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry Co., Ltd(HT) for a 319,000 DWT VLCC, named “Advantage Visual,” which is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Founded in 2014, Advantage Tankers provides maritime transportation solutions through voyage charters, commercial pooling, and time charters. The company currently owns and operates nearly 30 vessels and is continuing to expand its fleet of medium and large crude oil tankers.
In terms of newbuilds, Advantage Tankers currently has 11 new vessels under construction, primarily VLCCs and Suezmax tankers, all being built by Chinese and South Korean shipyards, including 2 VLCCs at DSIC, 1 VLCC at HT, 4 320,000 DWT VLCCs at Hanwha Ocean, and four 157,000 DWT Suezmax tankers from DH Shipbuilding. Delivery dates span from 2026 to 2029, and all vessels feature a dual-fuel-ready design.
According to reports, Swiss commodities trader Mercuria Energy Group has recently placed an order with DSIC for six new Type 2 vessels, which are expected to be delivered in 2029. The order includes up to four VLCCs, with a unit price of approximately $123 million each, and two LR2 product tankers, with a unit price of approximately $75 million each. The total value of the six new vessels is approximately $642 million.
This marks another collaboration between Mercuria and DSIC in 2026. Their first partnership involved the construction of 2+2 114,000 DWT product tankers, with a total value of approximately $288 million. With this latest agreement, the total number of vessels to be built under their partnership this year has increased to 8+2, with a total value of approximately $930 million.
Including the latest VLCC orders mentioned in the signing, DSIC has secured orders for 16 vessels of this type this year. Aside from the four ordered by Mercuria and the two by Advantage Tankers, the remaining 10 were all ordered by a wholly-owned subsidiary of China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), with a total value of approximately RMB 8.566 billion. Delivery is expected between 2028 and 2030.