Evangelos Marinakis has met a delegation from Chinese yard CSSC on Tuesday to celebrate his recent $800m order for six greener VLCCs.
The Greek shipowner ordered six LNG dual-fuel-capable VLCCs for Capital Maritime & Trading Corp, the private company he founded and where he is chairman.
TradeWinds reported last month that Capital had declared options for two 307,000-dwt tankers to the four firm orders made in January.
The $140m ships will be built at CSSC Tianjin Shipbuilding, which is managed by Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co.
“These vessels are pioneering vessels, as they endorse latest energy-saving technologies and importantly have the ability to use LNG as fuel, which reduces carbon emissions by more than 25%,” Capital said in a statement to TradeWinds.
Marinakis is in the minority of Greek shipowners in investing extensively in dual-fuel technology for newbuildings that will trade in Capital’s “energy transition” fleet. Most Greek owners have stuck to conventional fuels for recent orders.
Marinakis and his team met a CSSC delegation headed by vice president Du Gang when they visited Posidonia, where Marinakis was a speaker at the TradeWinds Shipowners Forum.
“This is an important step forward for both Capital and CSSC group as it unites the two groups in their respective efforts to decarbonise shipping,” Capital said.
“It is also a value-enhancing order priced at more than $800m, thus further contributing to the economic relationship between Greece and China.”
Chinese shipyards have garnered the lion’s share of Greek owners’ $40bn-plus outstanding orderbook.
“Both parties were delighted with the occasion and discussed opportunities to do more in the near future,” Capital said.
Earlier this week, Capital Product Partners — the group’s Nasdaq-listed arm — splashed out $756m on 10 gas ship newbuildings that Capital Maritime & Trading had ordered: six dual-fuel, midsize gas carriers and four liquid CO2 handysize multi-gas carriers, which it dubbed LCO2s.
