August was the first month since April 2016 that not a single tanker newbuilding order was registered, according to a top shipbroker.
However, this has not stopped the number of orders placed between January and August reaching the highest number since the equivalent eight-month period in 2015, said Affinity (Shipping).
A total of 143 tanker newbuilding orders have been placed so far this year with MRs making up the largest contingent at 57 ships.
Affinity (Shipping) figures show aframaxes are the second most popular type of tanker ordered this year with 35 ships contracted, with VLCCs close behind at 32 ships.
Some 13 suezmax tankers have been contracted so far this year, as well as 16 handysize tankers. There have been no orders for panamax or LR1 ships.
There are currently 410 tankers on order of 53m dwt, or about 8.6% of the existing tanker fleet, according to Affinity (Shipping) figures.
The tanker orderbook at the end of August comprised 135 MRs, 109 aframaxes, 77 VLCCS, 59 suezmaxes, 25 handysize tankers and just five panamaxes, of which three are LR1s.
On the demolition side, another 11 tankers were scrapped, matching July’s tally, and marking the fourth consecutive month of double-digit demolitions.
Total tankers sent for demolition so far this year number 58 and this has already surpassed the 42 and 21 ships scrapped in 2019 and 2020, respectively.
Demolished tankers
MRs account for almost 40% of the tanker scrappings this year by number of ships at 23, with aframaxes in second place with 18 ships recycled so far this year.
Affinity (Shipping) said that so far this year, demolished vessels have averaged 24.8 years old. There are 459 tankers in the fleet over 20 years of age. However, the average age of the fleet is 11.9 years.
Five VLCCs have been demolished, with an average age of 22.8 years old. There are 71 vessels in the VLCC fleet older than 20 years of age.
However, this is offset by the fact that the VLCC segment is the youngest across the crude tanker segments with an average age of just 10.1 years.
There was a similar picture across the suezmax fleet with only two ships sent for scrap so far this year, with an average age of 26.5 years.
Just 10% of the suezmax fleet is over 20 years of age and like the VLCC fleet, the suezmax fleet has an average age of just 10.5 years.
A total of 18 aframax/LR2 vessels, with an average age of 20.3 years old, have been demolished so far this year.
There are 82 vessels in the segment that are older than 20 years. The aframax/LR2 fleet has an average age of a 11.1 years.
Total deliveries were in August were described as “fairly steady”, numbering 14, marginally down from the 16 in July and 15 in June, according to Affinity (Shipping).
“However, it is the fewest in a month this year. Moreover, only three crude tankers were delivered, matching December 2020’s recent low,” the shipbroker added.
