Kumiai Navigation continues to expand its fleet of newbuildings with orders for a VLGC and a bulker at shipyards in Japan and China.
The Singapore-based shipowner has returned to Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) for a dual-fuelled VLGC to be delivered in the first quarter of 2022.
The vessel is the second LPG-fuelled VLGC Kumiai has commissioned KHI to build.
The first, Hull No 1748, was ordered early last year and is due for delivery in August next year.
Kamsarmax order
Kumiai has also commissioned Sino-Japanese yard Nantong Cosco KHI Ship Engineering (Nacks) to build a kamsarmax bulker.
It has opted to install scrubbers on the 82,000-dwt vessel. Delivery is set for the second half of 2021.
The vessels' prices have not been disclosed.
Kumiai managing director Tomomaru Kuroyanagi confirmed both orders, saying the vessels do not have charters.
“Our company has several plans lined up for the ships,” he said.
Last week, Kumiai was reported to have fixed out its first dual-fuelled VLGC to Japanese gas importer Astomos Energy for five years at about $900,000 per month.
The deal also marked the first dual-fuelled fixture of a VLGC for Astomos.
Kumiai is said to have paid $80m or less for the LPG-propelled gas carrier.
Kuroyanagi declined to confirm the fixture, citing contract confidentiality.
Meanwhile, Kumiai has just taken delivery of the 82,200-cbm IMO Tier II Crystal Angel (built 2020) from KHI.
Some gas players said the VLGC, which is equipped with scrubbers, was fixed out to Japan’s Gyxis Corp.
Equinor talk
But a source familiar with the deal believes Norway’s Equinor has chartered the ship, however, details of the contract have not been disclosed.
The source also said Equinor is also the charterer of Kumiai’s 82,400-cbm VLGC Crystal Sunrise (built 2013).
In addition to the VLGCs, Kumiai's pair of 5,000-cbm pressurised LPG carriers are also fixed out to Equinor.
Japanese shipbuilder Sasaki Shipbuilding has already delivered one ship — the Crystal Lavender (built 2019) — and will soon be delivering the second gas tanker, to be named Crystal Valerian.
Meanwhile, Kumiai is lined up to take delivery of a scrubber-fitted 208,000-dwt newcastlemax and a 61,000-dwt bulker under construction at Nacks and Dalian Cosco KHI Ship Engineering, respectively.
The company ordered the duo at the end of 2018 against charters from a Japanese company and a German grain trader.
The two yards are due to deliver the bulkers in the middle of this year.
Kumiai, which owns a fleet of 17 ships, is controlled by Japan's Kumiai Senpaku.
