Chemical tanker owner MAC Shipping is rebuilding and expanding its fleet with newbuildings.
The Singaporean company has struck a deal with China’s Jiangxi New Jiangzhou Shipbuilding Heavy for four duplex 25,900-dwt stainless steel chemical carriers.
A company official confirmed the tanker orders and said the quartet formed part of the firm’s fleet expansion programme.
MAC Shipping did not disclose the cost of the new stainless steel chemical tankers, but one shipbuilding expert said the current price of the ship type will cost close to $50m.
They will meet the International Maritime Organization’s Tier III NOx standards and the Energy Efficiency Design Index Phase 3 specifications.
MAC Shipping’s newbuildings will be the largest stainless steel chemical tankers that Jiangxi New Jiangzhou will build.
The shipyard is scheduled to deliver the quartet in 2026.
MAC Shipping was established in 2021. The firm began with breakbulk vessels but shifted its focus to chemical tankers a year later.
The company originally owned a fleet of four vessels — the 12,500-dwt Mac Singapore (built 2001), the 19,924-dwt Mac Jarkarta (built 2001), the 19,9990dwt Mac London (built 2003) and the 19,682-dwt Mac Tokyo (built 2006). But it sold the former two tankers early this year.
Shipping databases show Mac Singapore is now owned by an Indonesian company called Korindo while Mac Jakarta has been renamed Easline Guangzhou and is owned by Tianjin Maritime.
Based in Jiangxi province of Jiujiang city, Jiangxi New Jiangzhou was formerly called Jiangzhou Union Shipbuilding.
The Chinese shipyard was launched in March 2023 with a registered capital of CNY 50m ($6.9m). It is backed by Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Financial subsidiary Jiangsu Yangchuan Investment Development and Qinshi Group, which controls Bestway Marine & Energy Technology.
The former Jiangzhou Union ran into financial difficulties and stopped operating in 2018.
Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network shows the reborn Jiangzhou New Jiangxi has 19 newbuildings booked on its orderbook.
It is building 13,800-dwt stainless steel chemical tankers for Singapore’s OM Maritime and Alita Shanghai, a series of12,000-dwt multipurpose general cargo vessels with Germany’s Candler Schiffahrt and others.
Ren Yuan Lin-led Yangzijiang Financial also has two shallow-draught 8,300-dwt intermodal bulk carriers under construction at the shipyard. The pair of vessels is due for 2025 delivery.
