European and American shipowners place additional orders for 4 vessels, bringing CMS Dingheng's VINGA series chemical tanker orders to 26

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Recently, four shipowners from Europe and the United States jointly placed additional orders for 4 new-generation VINGA series chemical/product tankers at China Merchants Shipbuilding's Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard, bringing the total number of orders for this star vessel series at Yangzhou Dingheng to a record 26.

It is reported that the 4 new vessels are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2029. Upon delivery, all vessels will join the Gothia Tanker Alliance and will be commercially operated by Furetank Chartering, all flying the Swedish flag. As the new vessels gradually enter service, the VINGA series will account for nearly one-fifth of Sweden's current commercial fleet of approximately 105 vessels.

Of the newly added orders, two vessels will be owned by FureBear, a joint venture established by Swedish shipowner Furetank and Canadian company Algoma Central. Furetank is also the core developer of the VINGA series, having completed the vessel design together with FKAB Marine Design.

Lars Höglund, CEO of Furetank, stated that more than a decade has passed since the first orders were signed, and the VINGA series remains one of the most energy-efficient and environmentally friendly vessel types in its class globally. As policy trends and customer demands place increasing emphasis on the environmental performance of transportation, this vessel design will continue to maintain its competitive edge in the future.

Of the other two new vessels, one will be delivered to Norwegian shipowner O.H. Meling, marking the company's first investment in the VINGA series; the other will be delivered to Swedish shipowner Älvtank, one of the earliest participants in the VINGA project, whose first vessels of the same type were delivered in 2018 and who currently operates 3 VINGA series vessels.

Christian Nilsson, CEO of Älvtank, stated that the VINGA series has possessed future-oriented development potential since its inception, and the company's three sister vessels have performed exceptionally well. Operating a fleet of uniform specification series vessels brings advantages in maintenance, scheduling, and commercial operations.

Olav H. Meling, CEO of O.H. Meling, stated that the company's two existing medium-sized product tankers are approaching the 20-year operational limit for the European tanker market, and therefore the company has chosen the VINGA series as its fleet renewal solution. He believes that after years of market validation, this vessel type features mature and reliable technology and high operational efficiency, making now the optimal time for investment.

For Älvtank, this investment is also based on its assessment of Europe's energy transition trends. Christian Nilsson noted that as demand for gasoline and diesel transportation gradually declines, the share of liquid cargo transportation such as light chemicals and biofuels is continuously increasing. The VINGA series, equipped with 12 independent cargo tanks, can complete loading and unloading of small batch cargoes at multiple terminals in a single voyage, better adapting to the future transportation demands of the European market.

He predicts that Europe's future demand for larger tankers will gradually decline, while vessels of this tonnage class will maintain long-term market competitiveness.

It is understood that the VINGA series vessels were developed by Furetank in collaboration with FKAB Marine Design. The vessels feature a design deadweight of 17,999 tons and are built to 1A ice class specifications, meeting the navigation requirements of Nordic ice-covered waters. The vessels can operate on three fuel types: LNG, liquid biomethane (LBM), and marine diesel oil. They are equipped with shore power systems and battery hybrid propulsion systems throughout, and incorporate multiple innovative energy-saving technologies. The vessels also feature the methane slip reduction technology jointly developed by Wärtsilä and Furetank, significantly reducing fuel consumption and energy demand.

The vessels can significantly reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. Their Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) reaches the highest level among vessels of the same class globally, and they are recognized as one of the most energy-efficient vessels of their class under International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards.

It is understood that the cooperation between Furetank and China Merchants Shipbuilding Yangzhou Dingheng, and its predecessor AVIC Dingheng Shipyard, has lasted for nearly 11 years. The two parties initially signed contracts for the construction of the first 4 VINGA series vessels in November 2015, added 4 more vessels of the same type in October 2016 and 2019, ordered another 11 vessels between 2022 and 2023, and added 3 new vessels in 2024. With the 4 new orders added this time, the cumulative orders for the VINGA series have reached 26 vessels.

As an important enterprise in China's small and medium-sized liquid cargo vessel construction sector, China Merchants Shipbuilding Yangzhou Dingheng has long focused on the construction of specialized vessels such as chemical tankers and liquefied gas carriers, accumulating extensive experience in vessel type development, independent design, system integration, production processes, and lean management. To date, it has delivered nearly 100 chemical tankers and liquefied gas carriers of various types, with 6 vessel types filling gaps in China's shipbuilding industry. It ranks first in the world in terms of hand-held orders for small and medium-sized chemical tankers and first in the world in cumulative deliveries over the past decade.

Excluding the latest orders, Clarksons data shows that China Merchants Shipbuilding Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard currently holds a total of 54 hand-held orders of approximately 1.05 million deadweight tons, including 4 LPG carriers, 47 chemical tankers, 1 liquid ammonia bunkering vessel, and 2 asphalt carriers, with deliveries extending through 2029.