It seems that Hellenic shipowners are actively looking to be more lively and aggressive when it comes to concluding deals in the second hand and newbuilding markets. As a result, shipbroker Golden Destiny said in its latest weekly report that the past few days, they have been more active than ever before this year “with a new tranche of orders placed in the bulk carrier segment by Restis Group and a Chinese uitlity for four units of 205,000 dwt, two kamsarmaxes by Dynacom and two supramaxes, as an exercised option, by Rethymnis & Kulukundis. In the container segment, four units of 6,600 TEU have been ordered by Goldenport and Dynacom in Jiangsu Rongsheng. Additionally, Greek shipowner Enesel is said to have placed an order for four 9,600TEU units in Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea for delivery during 2014 and will be long term chartered to German liner opertator Hamburg Sud. The total newbuilding investment by Greek owners estimated to be at region $892 mil, 4 transactions reported as an undisclosed contract price. In the secondhand market, one unit reported to have gone to Greek hands, a panama of 75,607dwt built 2000 at region $22 million” said the Piraeus-based shipbroker.
In a separate report, Clarksons mentioned that “with the summer now firmly upon us, the market has quietened somewhat, with lower levels of fresh enquiry being witnessed than in previous weeks. This is not to say however that the market has been too quiet and we have continued to see new business being concluded across the various market sectors including Container ships, LNG carriers as well as some dry and tanker ordering as well.
Whilst there has been a great deal of success this year within the containership and more specialised sectors such as Offshore and LNG, the more conventional sectors including both the Dry Bulk and Tanker markets have been far quieter. In response to this we continue to see the yards developing more efficient designs with the focus on improving fuel oil consumptions. With Oil continuing to trade at levels approaching to USD120 / barrel (Brent Crude) and bunker prices stubbornly hovering around the Mid USD 600s (IFO), efficiency will continue to be an important factor for owners and yards alike. It is this continued development of designs therefore that will likely be a key component to the future of ordering within these sectors going forward” said Clarksons.
Golden Destiny went on to add that “the ordering business continues hot from last week’s  levels with Chinese yard “Jiangsu Rongsheng” grasping the world interest as it bagged a massive order for up to 10 large bulkers of 205,000 dwt and four large containerships of 6,600 TEU by European owners that proved to be Greek players. The ordering activity in the bulk carrier segments has kept last week’s robust pace of growth with 19 reported, acquiring 58% share of this week’s total volume of newbuilding business. Overall, the week closed with 33 new orders reported worldwide, down by 39% from previous week’s activity and up by 23% from similar week closing in 2010 when 43 new orders had reported worldwide with bulk carriers and containers grasping 68% of newbuilding business. In terms of invested capital, the offshore segment appears the most overweight segment due to the hefty investment of Maersk Drilling for the construction of two ultra deepwater units at a total cost of $1,3 bn.
In the bulk carrier segment, noteworthy deal is the order for ten 206,000dwt bulk carriers placed in Jiangsu Rongsheng by a Chinese utility group and Greek shipowner Restis at an estimated cost of $53,5 mil for delivery in 2013/2014. Rongsheng orders of such size were rare for Chinese shipbuilders in the first half of 2011.
In the tanker segment, Samsung Heavy Industries of South Korea has won a newbuilding contract by Teekay Offshore for a shuttle DP2 suezmax tanker quartet for delivery in mid / late 2013. A Samsung spokesman confirms the deal and says the contract is a new order rather than an existing penned long time ago, but further details regarding price or payment terms have not been revealed due to a confidentiality clause of the contract. The company has secured 10year charter agreements for the units and has confirmed that deal includes extension and purchase options. Furthermore, Dubai based Gulf Navigation is said to have signed up for two more units of 320,000dwt, as an exercised option, bringing its total order to four units. The company has chartered its units to Grand China Logistics for 10 years at a rate of $36,000 to $37,000/day, including a profit sharing scheme.
In the container market, tanker and LNG carrier Greek owner George Prokopiou has confirmed that this group has placed its fist containership newbuilding order amid a surge of investment in Seatraders, the dry arm of its shipping business. The order is for two 6,600 TEU placed in Jiangsu Rongsheng at an estimated cost of $68 mil each for delivery end 2013 and early 2014. A similar order for two 6,600 TEU was placed also by Greek owner Goldenport in the same yard for delivery in 2013. Furthermore, Hanjin HI has announced that it has won its first merchant ship newbuilding order in about three years. The new order, which is at letter of intent stage, has been signed by an undisclosed Asia based owner for four post panamax box ships of 4,700 TEU at an estimated cost of $62,5 mil per vessel, for delivery during 2012. In addition, Jinhai HI of China is said to be in negotiations for a series of orders up to 26 units of 1,800-1,900TEU from two European owners. The yard does not disclose the name of the European owners behind the deals with rumors suggesting that a UK group is involved in the deal. The units are said to be the yard’s fist containerships and Jinhai is aiming to build larger and more fuel-efficient boxships in the future. In the post-panamax segment, South Korean liner operator Hyundai Merchant Marine is rumored to be in talks with domestic shipbuilders for the construction of five 12,000TEU units for delivery in 2013, with an order expected to be finalized next month. Additionally, Greek shipowner Enesel is said to have placed an order for four 9,600TEU units in Hyundai Heavy Industries of South Korea at an estimated cost of less than $100 mil each for delivery during 2014 and will be long term chartered to German liner opertator Hamburg Sud” concluded Golden Destiny.