Greek shipowner Evalend Shipping has signed its first orders for a pair of LNG carriers at Hyundai Heavy Industries, paying just shy of $260m for each vessel.
Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE), the holding company of Hyundai Heavy Industries said today that it had won a KRW 679bn ($518.8m) order for two LNG carriers.
KSOE did not name the contracting party but referred to them as “an African shipper”.
Newbuilding sources following the order confirmed to TradeWinds that the vessels are for Evalend’s account.
The price quoted by the yard effectively prices the ships at $259.4m each.
Prices for LNG carrier newbuildings had previously topped the $260m mark but this week saw Mitsui OSK Lines secure an LNG option berth it was holding at Hanwha Ocean for $259.5m.
The newbuildings are a first step into LNG shipping for Kriton Lendoudis’ company.
The vessels are believed to be 174,000-cbm capacity ships.
Delivery dates on the ships have yet to emerge but brokers have indicated that they are scheduled for handovers in 2027.
Evalend has had a thirst for newbuildings in the past two years, paying out almost $2bn for around 32 vessels including LPG carriers, and product and suezmax tankers.
But the company has not yet to respond to emails about its LNG moves.
