Bunker supply company Peninsula is being linked to a newbuilding order for two large-sized LNG bunker vessels booked in South Korea.
On Thursday, HD Hyundai Group shipyard holding company HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering said it had signed a deal to build two LNG bunkering vessels (LNGBVs) with a shipping company based in Europe, without naming the contracting party.
The shipbuilder gave the total price of the orders at KRW 247.9bn ($185.5m) indicating a price per vessel of $92.8m.
No size details were given of the vessels. Bunker market players said the LNGBVs are about 18,000 cbm in capacity.
HD KSOE said the vessels will be built by Hyundai Mipo Dockyard.
They are scheduled to be delivered by November 2027.
Several market sources in the LNG and bunker sectors named Peninsula360 as the party behind the vessels.
TradeWinds has contacted Peninsula for confirmation and comment.
Market observers commented on the strong price, which is in the region of a recent deal for a similar-sized LNGBV contracted in China for TotalEnergies.
They said the price for LNGBVs has shot up as demand for the ships has increased on the back of the rise in orders for LNG dual-fuelled tonnage and the yawning supply gap identified for bunker vessels to serve this growing fleet.
The competition for slots at shipyards for these niche and complex vessels is also expected to keep prices high.
