Zodiac Maritime has launched a fleet-renewal program worth about $1.6 billion by placing orders for VLCCs and containerships at Jiangsu New Hantong Ship Heavy Industry in China, according to industry publications.
The London-based shipowner controlled by Eyal Ofer booked six VLCCs at the yard in Yangzhong and kept an option that may expand the series to eight vessels. In parallel, the company is shaping an order of up to six 9,000-TEU containerships. Deliveries are expected in the second half of 2028 and in 2029. These are Zodiac’s first VLCC orders in more than a decade and its first contracts with Jiangsu Hantong.
Trade outlets describe the deal as the company’s largest move into the VLCC segment in many years and one of the more significant order packages in the yard’s portfolio. If all options are exercised, the company’s VLCC fleet would more than double.
Separately, Jiangsu Hantong reported on Chinese social media that in November it received 19 orders across four vessel types — including VLCCs, Newcastlemax and Kamsarmax bulkers, and mid-size containerships — for delivery in 2028–2029. Although buyers were not disclosed, the publication referenced owners from the United Kingdom; specialized media later linked Zodiac to the VLCC and 9,000-TEU containership orders.
The vessels for Zodiac will feature modern energy-saving technologies but will be designed for conventional marine fuels, reflecting the market’s current emphasis on efficiency without long-term commitments to specific alternative fuels.
The contract comes amid a new wave of VLCC orders, particularly at Chinese shipyards, where owners are seeking to secure late-decade slots ahead of potential increases in construction costs and capacity utilization.
For Zodiac, 2025 has been active: the company was also associated with suezmax tanker orders at Samsung Heavy Industries in Vietnam and post-Panamax containership orders at China Merchants Jinling. The Hantong deals bring the number of newbuildings linked to Zodiac this year to more than 20 vessels.
Zodiac Maritime is a privately owned international shipping company headquartered in London. It operates a diversified fleet and is part of Ofer Global, a multinational group with activities in sectors including real estate, technology, and energy. The company functions as a commercial and technical manager for vessels operated within its portfolio and related entities.
