John Fredriksen’s private investment arm， Seatankers Management， has re-entered the large bulk carrier newbuild market with an order for up to eight newcastlemax vessels at China’s Panjin Dajin Offshore.

Shipbuilding sources say the Cyprus-based outfit has signed firm contracts for four 210，000 dwt units， with options attached for a further four. Deliveries for the firm ships are slated between the second half of 2028 and the first half of 2029.

Brokers have put the price at around $73.5m per vessel， taking the value of the firm order to just under $300m， with the optional vessels potentially doubling that exposure.

The move marks a return to big dry bulk for Seatankers， which recently has been more focused on the VLCC space， together with Fredriksen’s wider group， lining up a string of supertanker newbuildings at Hengli Shipbuilding in Dalian.

The latest deal builds on earlier newcastlemax plays in 2024 when Seatankers booked a series of similar-sized vessels， adding to an earlier round of orders dating back to 2018.

The timing lines up with a broader pickup in large bulk carrier contracting， with owners betting on long-haul trades and scale advantages. Hong Kong-listed Seacon Shipping and UK-based Union Maritime have both stepped into the segment this year with their first newcastlemax orders. Greek owner John Coustas， through Danaos， has also secured berths at Dajin for a series of around 211，000 dwt units due for delivery from 2028.