The shipping group of George and Panagiotis Angelopoulos is expanding its fleet renewal program.
Aegean Bulk, the company that manages the Group’s bulk carriers, has reached an agreement with the Chinese shipyard Hengli Shipbuilding for the construction of four kamsarmax type bulk carriers.
The company is returning to bulk carrier shipbuilding after more than 10 years.
It is noted that the other company in the group, Arcadia Shipmanagement, which manages the tanker fleet, has seven tankers under construction, three of which are being built at Hyundai shipyards in South Korea and another four at DSIC shipyards in China. The ships will be delivered to Arcadia gradually in 2026 and 2027.
Greek shipowners are dynamically returning to new bulk carrier shipbuilding, after a sterile nine-month period in terms of deals, where, according to major shipbuilding platforms, no new contracts were recorded.
In fact, Hengli’s operation in China gave many shipping companies in and outside Greece the opportunity to proceed with shipbuilding until 2028, since most shipyards are “closed” until the end of 2028.
Especially for the bulk carrier sector, as when there is a very high demand for shipbuilding, companies prefer to close deals for more expensive specialized constructions, such as LNG carriers, large containerships and tankers.
In the last two months, Star Bulk Carriers, as well as Oceanbulk, the listed and private company of Petros Pappas, have turned to Chinese shipyards for new bulk carrier construction.
Star Bulk is “running” a broad fleet renewal program, with 15 sales of older tonnage, while at the same time it has eight bulk carriers under construction.
The last three that were closed last month will also be built at Hengli.
Another three, at the same shipyards, will be built on behalf of Oceanbulk, Pappas’ private company.
Seanergy Maritime Holdings, headed by Stamatis Tsantanis, also confirmed that it closed the first ever new-build cape in a leading shipyard in China.
The scrubber-fitted capesize will cost 75 million dollars and will be delivered in early 2027.
Atlantic Bulk Carriers, owned by the Koumandaros family, which was awarded the Sustainability Award at the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards last week, has also placed an order for four 63,500 dwt ultramax vessels from Nantong Xiangyu Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering.
The ships are valued at approximately 33.8 million dollars each, with delivery scheduled for 2028.
Earlier this year, the company delivered its first three Chinese-built vessels – Desert Lion, Desert Puma and Desert Leopard – marking its entry into the Chinese newbuilding market.
Source: Naftemporiki