Recently, Irish shipowner Ardmore Shipping announced on its official website that it has placed an order with a Chinese shipbuilder for up to four product/chemical tankers and has reached an agreement to sell one MR product tanker built in 2014.
Wuhu Shipyard Secures Order for 2+2 40,500 DWT IMO II-Class Product/Chemical Tankers
Ardmore has signed a contract with Wuhu Shipyard for the construction of 2+2 IMO II-class product/chemical tankers with a deadweight tonnage of 40,500 tons. The construction cost per vessel is approximately $44.9 million, and delivery is expected to begin in late 2028.
Ardmore will implement various performance and safety upgrades on this new fleet.
Wuhu Shipbuilding stated that this batch of new vessels is equipped with 8+1 pairs of cargo holds, capable of simultaneously carrying eight different types of cargo. The cargo holds feature a MarineLine coating, meeting the suitability requirements for a wide range of chemicals.
Recently, Wuhu Shipyard has also secured new orders in the bulk carrier market. Swiss commodities trader Mercuria Energy Group has placed an order with Wuhu Shipyard for 82,000 DWT bulk carriers, with delivery expected in 2028 and a unit price ranging from $36 million to $37 million.
12-year-old medium-sized oil tanker for sale
In addition to investing in its fleet and expanding its order book, Ardmore has agreed to sell an MR product tanker built in 2014, which is expected to be delivered to its new owner in June 2026 for $35.5 million.
Gernot Ruppelt, CEO of Ardmore Shipping, commented: “Ardmore continues to execute on a clear, long-term strategy with targeted fleet investment while simultaneously increasing capital returns.
Providing enhanced trading options across a wide range of liquid cargos, from mainstream oil products to specialized high‑spec chemicals, these advanced IMO2 assets are well matched to our strategy and proven organizational capabilities. At the same time, we have updated our dividend policy, doubling the proportional return of capital to shareholders, a core element of our capital allocation framework.
We continue to act on attractive commercial opportunities, as our aforementioned vessel sale demonstrates, following multi-ship acquisitions we concluded less than a year ago at significant discounts to today’s levels. Meanwhile, as reflected in robust first quarter bookings and further TCE acceleration into the second quarter, Ardmore’s global trading platform remains well positioned to capture market strength.”