Swiss tanker owner and operator Advantage Tankers has officially entered the MR product tanker sector, reportedly ordering four new vessels from a Chinese shipyard.
Shipbroking and market sources revealed that Advantage Tankers has placed an order with Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI)—a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)—for four 50,000 DWT MR product tankers. Delivery is expected by 2029, though the price of the new vessels has not been disclosed.
Advantage Tankers has been active in the newbuilding market in recent years, ordering multiple crude oil tankers—primarily Suezmaxes and Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs)—from shipyards in China and South Korea.
Fleet data from Advantage Tankers’ official website lists 12 vessels in its newbuilding program, including four 320,000 DWT VLCCs from Hanwha Ocean, four 157,000 DWT Suezmaxes from DH Shipbuilding, and vessels from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC); these are scheduled for delivery between the second quarter of 2027 and the third quarter of 2029.
The newly announced order for four 50,000 DWT MR product tankers has not yet been added to the company’s newbuilding list.
Advantage Tankers began operations in 2015 and currently manages a fleet of 28 tankers, comprising six VLCCs, 11 Suezmaxes, four Aframaxes, and seven LR1 product tankers. Consequently, this latest order marks the company’s official entry into the MR product tanker segment.
Chinese shipbuilder GSI is a major player in securing orders for MR product tankers; including the Advantage Tankers project, the yard has secured orders for over 20 vessels in this segment so far this year.