London-headquartered Stolt-Nielsen Limited introduced its subsidiary Stolt Tankers B.V. has reached an settlement with Chinese shipbuilder Wuhu Shipyard to assemble six 38,000 deadweight tonne chrome steel parcel tankers for supply between 2026 and 2028, with further choices for an extra six newbuildings.
The new ships may have 30 chrome steel cargo tank segregations providing a variety of cargo flexibility, the shipowner mentioned.
Stolt-Nielsen CEO Udo Lange mentioned, “Following our well-timed acquisitions of 10 secondhand ships since 2021, now is the right time to invest in newbuildings. This deal positions Stolt Tankers for the future by improving flexibility and maintaining our fleet size as we retire older ships from our network between 2026 and 2030.
“It also reflects our strategy to add modern, fuel-efficient ships to our fleet to support our customers by improving our service offering and making their supply chains simpler and more sustainable. Not only will these new ships help Stolt Tankers in its ambition to reduce its carbon intensity by 50% (relative to the 2008 baseline) by 2030, but they will also help reduce customers’ Scope 3 emissions.
“These newbuildings put our strong balance sheet and cash flow generation to work to deliver sustainable shareholder returns while maintaining our position as the world’s largest operator of chemical tankers.”
Artist’s impression of the newly ordered tankers (Image: Stolt Tankers)
