Belgium’s Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) has returned to China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou (CMJL Yangzhou), the former AVIC Dingheng Shipbuilding for a series of stainless steel chemical tanker newbuildings.
The company has ordered two 25,000-dwt ammonia-ready newbuildings at the Chinese shipyard to be delivered in the last quarter of 2025.
According to shipbuilding sources, CMB inked the newbuilding contract “some time ago”, but the deal was not reported.
Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network listed the newbuildings as Hull Nos CMYZ0121 and CMYZ0122 — for delivery in September and December 2025.
Sources told TradeWinds the two newbuildings are sisterships to the six 25,000-dwt stainless steel tankers that CMB ordered at CMJL Yangzhou between late 2021 and early 2022.
The shipbuilder delivered the first two vessels — Bochem Houston and Bochem Rotterdam — in June and October 2023.
The Chinese shipyard is expected to deliver the other four vessels in 2024.
CMB has chartered out the first six new ships to Stolt Tankers on a long-term basis. It is not known if employment contracts have been found for its latest two newbuildings.
The price of the tankers was not disclosed, but the vessels will comply with Phase 3 of the International Maritime Organization’s Energy Efficiency Design Index and Tier III NOx emissions standards.
Bochem, a subsidiary of CMB, controls and operates the group’s chemical tankers.
The company owns a modern fleet of 17 full stainless steel, parcel chemical tankers, according to its website. In 2022, Bochem ships carried close to 1.3m tonnes of cargo.
Shipbuilding brokers said CMJL Yangzhou is one of the shipyards in China reputed for building chemical tankers.
Clarksons’ SIN shows the Chinese yard inked 10 chemical tanker newbuildings with several European companies this year. They included James Fisher, Pritchard-Gordon, Terntank and Sirius Shipping.
