Maersk Tankers announced a move to renew its fleet with a confirmed order for six Chinese-built LR2 product tankers for delivery from 2020.
Maersk Product Tankers’ board of directors approved the order for the six LR2 newbuilds on contract with Dalian Shipyard. The deal includes an option for four additional vessels.
“The current market makes the investment attractive because it offers competitive asset prices. The fleet renewal will help to sustain a competitive fleet that is meeting customers’ demands and retain a strong market position in the LR2 segment,” the Danish ship owner said in announcing the shipbuilding order.
The six vessels are scheduled to be delivered over a period of two years with the first vessels entering the fleet in 2020.
"Once delivered, the vessels will be under Maersk Tankers’ commercial, technical and corporate management. This increases the scale of the fleet we manage and provides vessel data, contributing to our strategy of delivering industry-leading commercial performance.” Said Soren C. Meyer, chief strategy officer at Maersk Tankers.