Daehan Shipbuilding Industry (DSIC), part of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), has entered into a deal for the construction of up to two 155,000-ton shuttle tankers with Beihai Shipping.
Under the contract, the Suez-max shuttle tankers include one firm order scheduled for delivery in 2020 and one optional ship.
The shuttle tanker is intended for CNOOC Group’s Brazilian offshore oilfiel project.
China State Shipbuilding Corporation said that this was the first shuttle tanker of this type to be ordered by a domestic ship owner, a major breakthrough for the domestic shipbuilding sector.
The vessel features low-resistance ship design, high-efficiency propulsion system and rudder aimed to achieve low energy consumption and high manouverabilty.
Shanghai Beihai Shipping is engaged in transportation of petroleum product and bulk goods.
Chinese shipbuilders have managed to secure the majority of this year’s orders in a very difficult market obscured by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the ordering apetite.
Data from VesselsValue shows that Chinese shipbuilders amassed 46 percent (246 ships) orders from a total of 532 ships that have been ordered so far this year, dominated by bulkers (93) and tankers (65).
The Chinese yards are followed by South Korean counterparts in the second place with 137 orders and Japan accounting for 94 orders.