Amsterdam-based Ace Tankers is said to be expanding into the larger-size stainless-steel tanker business, having inked a deal at South Korea’s Dae Sun Shipbuilding & Engineering for up to eight 33,000-dwt chemical tankers worth $376m.
The joint venture between Eastern Pacific Shipping and XT Shipping has signed up for four firm stainless-steel newbuildings with options for four more, shipping sources told TradeWinds.
A Dae Sun official confirmed the contract for a series of stainless-steel chemical tankers but declined to confirm if the owner is Ace Tankers, citing contract confidentiality.
Shipping sources with knowledge of the newbuildings said Ace Tankers is paying $47m apiece for the conventionally-fuelled chemical tankers.
The newbuildings will be compliant with Phase 3 of the IMO's Energy Efficiency Design Indexstandards and Tier III NOx rules. Dae Sun is scheduled to delivery of the firm vessels between May 2023 and early 2024.
“Ace Tankers is entering a new segment on the stainless-steel chemical tanker business,” a shipping source said. “It has been involved in tankers below 21,000 dwt.
“Ace is doing a lot of parcel trade ... It has received requirements for ships of this size [33,000 dwt]. The new tankers will be trading worldwide.”
Ace Tankers was established in 2008. It controls 40 tankers that are trading globally in a mixture of long-term contracts of affreightment and spot business. The company is also acting as managing partner in the Ace Quantum Chemical Tankers pool.
Ace Tankers’ order is a big boost for Dae Sun. The Busan-based shipbuilder said the order marks its first stainless-steel contract for 33,000-dwt-capacity tankers.
“Our shipyard has delivered 16 stainless-steel chemical tankers but they were less than 12,000 dwt,” the Dae Sun official said.
“Ace Tankers' newbuildings will not pose a problem to Dae Sun as we specialise in constructing MR tankers and we have experience building stainless-steel ships. We are the only shipyard in South Korea that is constructing stainless-steel chemical tankers."
Dae Sun is currently building two 50,000-dwt MR tankers for Eastern Pacific. The pair of newbuildings was booked early last year and set for delivery in August and November this year.
