Swiss commodities giant Trafigura has ordered an extra VLCC newbuilding at China’s Jiangsu New Hantong Ship Heavy Industry, bringing its big tanker orderbook at the yard to six, sources say.
The company’s earlier five newbuildings were inked in February and April this year.
Trafigura said it does not comment on market rumours, while officials at Jiangsu New Hantong were not available for comment due to a public holiday in China.
The price of Trafigura’s latest VLCC has yet to emerge. The company was said to be paying no more than $120m each for its earlier five crude tankers.
Trafigura is poised to take delivery of the first two newbuildings in 2026 and 2027, and they will be dual-fuel ammonia-ready.
Jiangsu New Hantong is scheduled to deliver the remaining four tankers in 2027.
Trafigura’s Andrea Olivi, head of wet freight, has told TradeWinds that his company is confident in the VLCC segment as the sector is growing, driven by the need to replace an ageing fleet with new vessels.
Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network shows that the orderbook of VLCC newbuildings stands at 72, equal to 8% of the existing fleet.
Trafigura is actively investing in newbuildings, ordering bunker tankers and gas carriers.
In July, its joint venture with John Fredriksen, TFG Marine, ordered four 6,500-dwt methanol carriage-ready vessels with Singapore’s Consort Bunkers. The ships are being built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.
Trafigura splashed out $286m in May to order four ammonia-fuelled LPG carriers at HD Hyundai Mipo.
The 45,000-cbm newbuildings will be capable of using low-carbon ammonia as fuel and carrying LPG and ammonia as cargo. Hyundai Mipo is scheduled to deliver the quartet in 2027.
Trafigura is one of the world’s largest charterers of vessels, clocking up more than 5,000 shipping and chartering voyages each year.
Last year, it traded an average of 6.3m barrels per day of oil and petroleum products, including gas and LNG.
The commodities player has 400 ships under management.
UK shipbroker Clarksons lists an owned fleet of 20 ships, including two suezmax tankers, a VLGC and four midsize LPG carriers of about 40,000 cbm, plus LR tankers and asphalt and bitumen carriers.
Trafigura has said it owns 30 vessels.
