Move marks the third newbuilding deal for the South Korean shipyard this year
South Korea’s Daehan Shipbuilding has raked in another aframax tanker newbuilding from a Greek company, marking the third such deal for the yard in 2021.
Shipbuilding sources said Atlas Maritime has exercised an option for a 115,000-dwt crude carrier, making it the second aframax it has booked at the yard.
The sources said the company agreed the option for the latest newbuilding when it ordered the first tanker last year.
A Daehan executive declined to comment on the shipyard’s activities.
Atlas is said to be paying close to $46m per tanker and will be taking delivery of the duo in March and June of next year.
Fleet renewal
IHS Markit and VesselsValue list the pair in Atlas’ fleet as Hull Nos 5067 and 5068. The company appears to be in fleet-renewal mode after selling two ageing aframaxes last year.
Atlas is the third Greek company to sign up for newbuildings at Daehan this year. Chandris (Hellas) booked one LR2 newbuilding with the South Korean builder, while Pleiades Shipping Agents signed up for one aframax crude tanker.
Located in Haenam in South Jeolla Province, Daehan specialises in building aframax and suezmax tankers. The shipyard is under the control of its lenders, with state-owned Korea Development Bank being its largest creditor.
According to Clarksons’ Shipping Intelligence Network, Daehan has 21 newbuildings in its orderbook.
Atlas owns four aframax tankers — three built in 2007 and one in 2009. It also has a 15-year-old Japanese-built kamsarmax bulker.