Recently, inquiries for VLCC newbuilding have skyrocketed and Korean shipyards are said to win large VLCC orders with their excellent newbuilding competitiveness and relatively early delivery.

Broker industry display an expectation that VLCC orders for up to around 30 units will be placed considering market atmosphere where global owners have been aggressively inquiring for VLCC newbuilds since November, reported by TradeWinds.

Currently, leading shipbuilders in China, such as Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) and so on, are suggesting around $91m for one unit of VLCC newbuild while Korea’s major shipbuilders demand about $93m apiece.

Lately, Scorpio Tankers, Navig8 and DHT Holdings were reportedly placed large VLCC orders at Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, Hyundai Heavy Industries and SWS.

Moreover, owners, such as Awilco, National Shipping Co of Saudi Arabia (Bahri) and etc., are said to have interests in booking large orders for VLCC newbuilding.

Meanwhile, it is also said that global demands for VLCC will be further improving as a result of removal of economic sanction in Iran.