Alpha Gas, a Greek shipowner under the umbrella of Anna Angelicoussis, continues to expand its orderbook for gas carriers while marking its first-ever foray into the Chinese shipbuilding market.
Alpha Gas fleet data shows that the company has placed an order with Hengli Heavy Industries for two 88,000 m³ Very Large Gas Carriers (VLGCs)/Very Large Ammonia Carriers (VLACs), designated HL-G88K-4 and HL-G88K-5, which are expected to be delivered in 2029. Shipbrokers and industry sources revealed that the order was finalized last month, marking Alpha Gas’s first newbuild order in China.
With this latest addition, Alpha Gas’s total orderbook now stands at six gas carriers. This includes the two vessels at Hengli Heavy Industries; two 174,000 m³ Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers and one 93,000 m³ VLGC/VLAC at Hanwha Ocean; and one 88,000 m³ VLGC/VLAC at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries. These vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2027 (two vessels) and 2029 (four vessels).
Alpha Gas initially focused on the LNG carrier segment, but expanded into the VLGC/VLAC market in 2024 by placing orders with South Korean shipyards. Including vessels currently under construction, the Alpha Gas fleet comprises 16 vesselss (10 LNG carriers and 6 VLGC/VLACs). Its active fleet consists of 8 LNG carriers built between 2015 and 2024, along with 2 VLGC/VLACs scheduled for delivery in 2026. With the exception of the 2 new vessels ordered from Hengli Heavy Industries, all other 14 vessels were built by South Korean shipyards.
It is worth noting that while this order for gas carriers marks the first time Alpha Gas has placed an order with a Chinese shipyard—and its first collaboration with Hengli Heavy Industries—the Anna Angelicoussis shipping group is already well-acquainted with the shipbuilder.
According to the fleet information on its official website, Alpha Bulkers—part of the Anna Angelicoussis group—has placed orders with Hengli Heavy Industries for two 210,000 DWT Newcastlemax bulk carriers (expected for delivery in 2029) and two 181,500 DWT Capesize bulk carriers (expected for delivery in 2028). These four vessels represent the entirety of the newbuild orderbook currently held by Alpha Bulkers.
Pantheon Tankers, a tanker owner under the umbrella of Anna Angelicoussis, also holds newbuild orders with Hengli Heavy Industries, comprising two 306,000 DWT very large crude carriers (VLCCs) scheduled for delivery in 2028.
Since the beginning of this year, Hengli Heavy Industries has secured multiple orders for VLGCsand VLACs. In the first seven months of 2026, a total of 40 VLACs were ordered globally. Chinese shipbuilders secured 26 of these (65%), while South Korean shipbuilders took 14 (35%)—marking the first time Chinese shipbuilders have surpassed their South Korean counterparts in terms of order volume. Notably, Hengli Heavy Industries claimed the top spot among individual shipyards worldwide, with 14 VLAC orders.
Currently, Hengli Heavy Industries holds the world’s largest orderbook for VLACs, signaling a major leap for the company in the cryogenic vessel sector—advancing from its initial breakthrough to becoming a large-scale industry leader.