The Tsakos family’s private shipping arm has booked two feeder containerships at Hyundai Mipo Dockyard (HMD).

The deal is part of a batch of orders for six newbuildings worth KRW 348bn ($308m) revealed by parent Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE) on Monday.

The orders involve a 91,000-cbm VLGC, a 86,000-cbm VLGC, two MR tankers and two 2,800-teu boxships.

KSOE said the VLGCs will be built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, while the MRs and boxships will be constructed by HMD. KSOE controls the two yards, in addition to Hyundai Heavy Industries

KSOE, a unit of Hyundai Heavy Industries Holdings, did not disclose the identity of the shipping companies that ordered the newbuildings, and its officials declined to comment further.

But several industry sources said that Tsakos Shipping & Trading ordered the boxship duo, which HMD is slated to deliver by April 2023.

This would be the major Greek shipowner's first containership order since 2003. Tsakos inked orders for three vessels at HMD at that time, also with a carrying capacity of 2,800 teu each.

Tsakos is known to order newbuildings only after lining up secured employment for them. Group officials in Athens, however, declined to comment.

The company's containership fleet currently consists of eight vessels, according to its website. The Greek outfit, however, may have acquired two more ships on the secondhand market recently.

The 3,800-teu Sphene (built 2007), a vessel that reportedly changed hands for $13m in February, entered the fleet of Tsakos Conbulk Services earlier this month, according to Equasis.

In November, brokers linked Tsakos to an $8.7m purchase of the 3,400-teu Newark (built 2006) as well. Tsakos has not listed the ship on its website. However, the name of its new registered owner — Irenes Ray Maritime — follows the Tsakos Group naming convention.

More orders coming

Shipbuilding players expect HMD to be landing more orders for feeder containership newbuildings, as it was reported to be “snowed under” with enquires for ships of between 1,800 teu and 3,000 teu.

Shipping companies said to have approached HMD for vessels in that category include CMA CGM, AP Moller-Maersk, Sinokor Merchant Marine, Namsung Shipping and SM Line.

Last month, Hyundai yards recorded weak first-quarter earnings compared with a year ago. KSOE posted a first-quarter net profit of KRW 63.6bn, down more than 61% on the same three months of last year.