Japan’s Mitsui OSk Lines (MOL) has lifted its LNG dual-fuelled VLCC order tally in China.
Multiple shipbroking sources have reported that the Tokyo-based shipping giant has contracted two additional 309,000 dwt newbuilds at Dalian COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (DACKS) for nearly $300m.
The largest shipping company in Japan in dwt terms is listed with more than 20 VLCCs with now six more units set to deliver from DACKS between 2025 and 2028.
In August 2022, MOL became the first Japanese company to order LNG-fuelled VLCCs. The MOL order was also the first confirmed for VLCCs since June 2021 bringing to an end a record ordering drought for the supertanker sector. This was followed by a roughly $260m order for two more newbuilds in 2023.