Greek shipowner Thanassis Laskaridis has moved below the radar to up the ante on his already extensive newbuilding programme with six more kamsarmaxes in China worth far above the $200m mark.
TradeWinds reported last year about his Laskaridis Maritime ordering four kamsarmaxes due in 2025 at Hengli Heavy Industries, in what were the first newbuilding contracts signed at the reborn yard by a non-Chinese company.
However, this order was just the beginning.
Laskaridis Maritime has doubled the original order by booking a second quartet of 82,000-dwt vessels at Hengli Heavy all for delivery in 2026, the owner disclosed on its website. TradeWinds understands that the company has also exercised another pair of options at the same yard this month, driving up its tally under construction there to 10.
It has also turned to a second Chinese yard, Penglai Jinglu, for a further pair of kamsarmaxes due for completion in 2026.
According to Clarksons, all eight kamsarmaxes at Hengli Heavy will be equipped with scrubbers.
Based on that information and average kamsarmax newbuilding prices this year, its latest foray into the newbuilding market must have cost close to $300m.
This comes on top of the $135m Laskaridis Maritime is estimated to have spent on the first four kamsarmaxes it ordered at Hengli Heavy last spring.
TradeWinds reported at the time that Hengli Heavy is building the Laskaridis Maritime kamsarmaxes on a design developed by the Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute to comply with the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III NOx and Energy Efficiency Design Index Phase 3 standards.
Hengli Heavy has been extremely busy signing up business from Greek and Turkish owners lately.
TradeWinds reported just last week how Istanbul-based Ciner Shipping inked four firm kamsarmaxes at the yard, due for delivery in 2027.
Thanassis is familiar with Penglai Jinglu as well. Before he split his business interests with brother Panos to set up Laskaridis Maritime three years ago, the siblings had jointly booked ultramax bulkers at the Chinese yard.
Two of these ultramaxes have already been delivered and are trading in the Laskaridis Maritime fleet — the 63,600-dwt Las Palmas (built 2021) and 63,700-dwt Santander (built 2022).
The 10 kamsarmax newbuildings that Thanassis has currently under construction will join an already very modern fleet of 16 bulkers on the water.
Thirteen of these ships are kamsarmaxes and ultramaxes built after 2021. Only the Greek owner’s three capesizes are older, having been completed in 2011 and 2012.
From Athens to Spain to Uruguay
Laskaridis Maritime, the dry bulk shipping arm of the Alimia Group, is headed by chief executive Odysseas Laskaridis, Thanassis’ son.
Laskaridis Maritime is separate from Lavinia Bulk and Laskaridis Shipping, which is run by Thanassis’ brother Panos.
Alimia has dipped its toe in tankers as well. As TradeWinds reported last year, the company booked an LR2 product carrier newbuilding due for delivery in 2026 from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding in China.
The group’s interests go beyond shipowning.
Subsidiary Alimia Enterprises Co Ltd has inherited the Laskaridis family’s interests in the Astican, Astander and Astibal ship repair yards in Spain.
Alimia also owns the Christophersen Group — a ship agency, bunker supplier and logistics infrastructure operator active in Uruguay since 1892.
((This article was updated since original publication to include information about the company exercising options for another pair of kamsarmaxes at Hengli))
