It's been yet another week on increased newbuilding ordering activity with Hellenic ship owners appearing rathe active, on the back of attractive financing obtained in China. According to the latest shipbuilding report by Clarkson Hellas, most of the ordering has been happening in the dry bulk sector, but there have also been a number of new orders in the MR and LR2 coated tanker markets.
According to Clarkson Hellas, "the coated tanker market has seen further ordering this week, which has been focussed on MR and LR2 sectors. Clients of Flagship Marine Ventures are reported this week to have placed orders for two firm plus two option 114,900 DWT LR2 product tankers at DSME. Although pricing was undisclosed, delivery of the firm vessels is planned for the first quarter of 2015 and options also in 2015 if declared. Additionally Clients of D’Amico are understood to have declared the 7th and 8th options in a series of 50,000 DWT MR product/chemical tankers at Hyundai Vinashin. The declared options are due for delivery in the third quarter of 2015 and to be IMO 2/3 grade" said the shipbroker.
In a separate weekly report, shipbroker Golden Destiny said that "in the newbuilding market, excessive orders with ample volume of new contracts reported in the main conventional vessel segments that surpasses even the levels of new orders r in the offshore segment. The third week of May is being marked with a record newbuilding business that resembles memories of 2007 for a second time since the week ending April 26th, when 83
newbuilding orders were reported.
Chinese yards have sealed a significant amount of business with Hellenic shipowners supporting China’s shipbuilding nation after the new era of cooperation between China and Hellenic government. Bulk carriers are holding for one week more a large share of the total volume of new orders reported and appeared to be in the frontline along with special  projects. In the tanker segment, newbuilding contracts reported this week come mainly from Greek shipping players. MR product vessels are holding the lion share of contracting business with South Korean yards loosing business from Chinese. The support of ship financing from Chinese primary lenders to foreign investors appears to be the competitive advantage of Chinese shipbuilders against its rivals. In the container segment, post panamax ordering spree keeps with China’s Jinhai Heavy Industries sealing this week a contract worth $2,4bn for the construction of 10 super-eco 8,800 TEU boxships" it said.
The Piraeus-based shipbroker added that "overall, the week closed with 75 fresh orders reported worldwide at a total deadweight of 5,842,534 tons, posting 168% week-on-week increase from previous week, with bulk carriers holding 31% share of the total volume of new orders, tankers 16%, containers 27% and special projects 21%. This week’s total newbuilding business is 650% up from similar week’s closing in 2012, when 10 fresh orders had been reported, 8 for bulkers and 2 for car carriers. In terms of invested capital, the total amount of money invested is estimated in region of more than $3,6 bn with 41 newbuilding contracts reported at an undisclosed contract price. A hefty amount of money is invested in the container segment with 20 new orders, up by 1900% week-on-week, for an invested capital of more than $2,6bn. In the bulk carrier segment, the volume of new orders showed a 1400% weekly increase with 23 new orders at a total value of more than $676mil. In the tanker segment, more than $147mil is invested for 12 new contracts, showing a 1000% weekly increase from the volume of orders reported last week.
In the bulk carrier segment, Diana Shipping of Greece ordered two newcastlemax bulkers of 208,500dwt at Jiangnan Changxing of China for about $48,7mil each with delivery in 2016. In the capesize, commodities’ trading house Cargill is inked in a newbuilding deal for three 180,000dwt bulkers in partnership with an undisclosed third party at Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipyard for a total value of around $142,5mil.
In the panamax segment, Safety Management Overseas of Greece sealed an order for two 77,000dwt vessels at undisclosed Japanese yard for about $28mil each with delivery in 2014-2015. In the ultramax segment, Germany’s Oldendorff Carriers placed two 61,000dwt bulkers at Japan Marine United for about $27miil, which seems to be an old deal. Laskaridis Shipping of Greece ordered four 64,000dwt bulkers at China’s Penglai Zhongbai Jinglu for about $24,5mil each, with an option of two more, for delivery in 2016. Laskaridis Shipping also placed an order for two kamsarmax bulkers of 82,000dwt at the same yard for about $27mil each with delivery in 2016, with an option for two more. In the handysize segment, South Korean HI Investment Securities ordered two 36,767dwt vessels at Hyundai Vinashin for an undisclosed contract price with delivery in 2014.
In the tanker segment, Angelicoussis of Greece has placed an order for three very large crude carriers of 319,000dwt at China’s SWS with undisclosed details for the newbuilding cost and delivery dates. In the aframax segment, Kyklades Maritime of Greece ordered two 99,999dwt product carriers at Hyundai HI of South Korea for delivery in 2014-2015, which is rumoured to be subject to time charter agreement with Total. In addition, Flagship Marine Ventures,
a joint venture between Marine Management of Greece and Perella Weinberg Partners SA have signed a contract for two 115,000dwt vessels at South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding, with an option of two more, for delivery in 2015", Golden Destiny concluded.