Alpha Bulkers, a Greek shipping company owned by Anna Angelicoussis, plans to double the size of its order book for large bulk carriers.
Shipbrokers and market sources revealed that Alpha Bulkers intends to order two larger Newcastlemax bulk carriers from Hengli Heavy Industry; neither the delivery dates nor the construction prices have been disclosed.
If confirmed, this order would mark another collaboration between Alpha Bulkers and Hengli Heavy Industries in the newbuild market in 2026. In May, market reports indicated that Hengli Heavy Industries had secured an order from Alpha Bulkers for two Capesize bulk carriers with competitive delivery schedules.
Large bulk carriers are a major highlight of the newbuilding market in 2026. According to data from shipbroker Xclusiv Shipbrokers, as of the end of August 2026, global shipowners had placed orders for a total of 105 Capesize/Very Large Ore Carriers (VLOCs), ranking second only to orders for Supramax/Ultramax bulk carriers.
To date, the ordering ratio of large bulk carriers relative to the fleet size (measured in deadweight tonnage) has risen to over 18%, while the average age of the existing fleet is approximately 12.5 years.
Based on fleet data from Alpha Bulkers’ official website, the shipping company currently operates a fleet of 33 vessels with a total carrying capacity of 4,546,945 gross tons and an average vessel age of 9 years. Specifically, the fleet includes 2 Newcastle bulk carriers with a deadweight tonnage of 210,000 DWT, built in 2022; 17 Capesize bulk carriers built between 2008 and 2016; 5 Kamsarmax bulk carriers built between 2017 and 2018; 2 Ultramax bulk carriers built in 2025, and 1 Supramax bulk carrier built in 2015.
As an international shipowner specializing in dry bulk shipping, Alpha Bulkers unexpectedly entered the container ship market last year and signed shipbuilding contracts with three Chinese shipbuilders.
In November 2025, Alpha Bulkers announced 11 new container ship orders in a single disclosure, covering three sizes: 1,900 TEU, 3,100 TEU, and 4,500 TEU, all powered by conventional fuel. The vessels are being built by three Chinese shipyards: Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (3 x 1,900 TEU container ships), Guangdong COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry (4 x 3,100 TEU container ships), and CIMC Raffles (4 x 4,500 TEU container ships).