Private UK shipowner Union Maritime has increased its newbuildings orderbook.
The Laurent Cadji-led company has contracted five chemical tankers and two aframax product carriers at shipyards in China and Japan, lifting the total number of newbuildings on its orderbook to 20 vessels.
Shipping sources said Union Maritime has contracted Japan’s Fukuoka Shipbuilding to build two 19,900-dwt vessels.
The deal is believed to be the company’s first ever newbuilding contract in Japan.
However, Union Maritime currently owns the Omomichi-built 47,000-dwt product carrier Chapel (built 2003), which it bought from Torm in late 2019.
The Fukuoka newbuildings are listed on the company’s website as Hull Nos F1360 and F1361. The yard is scheduled to deliver the first ship in December next year and the second vessel in June 2026.
Besides ordering the chemical carriers at Fukuoka, Union Maritime has also increased the ship type at two Chinese shipyards.
It has added two 18,500-dwt newbuildings at Wuhu Shipyard, bringing the order tally to six.
Union Maritime originally had three 18,500-dwt chemical tankers on order at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding but has increased the orderbook by one vessel.
Shipbuilding brokers believed the newbuildings added at Wuhu and Fujian Mawei were options it held at the yards. The delivery of the three ships is set for 2026.
In addition to the chemical tankers on order at Mawei and Wuhu, Union Maritime also has two similar ships being built at Fujian Southeast Shipbuilding.
It ordered the pair of tankers during the first half of last year. They are due for delivery in August and October 2025.
On the larger tanker segment, Union Maritime has commissioned Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry Yangzhou (Cosco HI Yangzhou) to build two 114,000-dwt LR2 tankers.
The pair of aframax product carriers are already listed on the company’s website as Hull Nos N1202 and N1203. The duo are due to be delivered in November 2026 and January 2027.
With the order of the product tankers at Cosco HI Yangzhou, Union Maritime now has six LR2 newbuildings on order. CSSC-controlled Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding is building two ships while Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding is constructing the other two tankers.
Union Maritime was founded in 2006 by Laurent Cadji. The company has a diversified fleet of 56 vessels comprising 42 tankers, 12 bulkers and two offshore vessels.
