Greek owner Enesel re-enters Capesize market with newbuilding pair in China

Shipbroking and market sources indicate that the Greek owner has contracted China’s Hengli Shipbuilding for a pair of 181,500-dwt vessels, with deliveries scheduled for Q3 2027.

The shipbuilder has been actively securing orders from Greek interests across all major shipping segments. Maran Dry and Capital Group are among the owners that have placed Capesize orders at Hengli since late 2025.

Enesel, which has been approached for comment, has already included the two vessels in its fleet list on its website.

Riviera reported last September that the company had divested three Capesize vessels to Hayfin Capital, marking its exit from the dry bulk segment. However, the owner had already signalled its intention to re-enter the market, aiming to build a sizeable fleet of modern vessels across the size spectrum.

Enesel has also been active in offloading tankers at strong prices, including Aframax/LR2 vessels and VLCCs.

According to information available on its website, the company’s active fleet comprises 14 tankers and 11 container vessels.

Capesize investments rally

Large bulk carriers have gained significant traction in the newbuilding market in recent months, with Greek owners leading the trend. Of the 26 Capesize and Newcastlemax vessels contracted in Q1 2026, Greek interests account for 12, according to Xclusiv Shipbrokers data.

Maran Dry, Navios Maritime Partners, Danaos Corp, and Seanergy Maritime have been among the most active players in this segment this year.

Notably, during the same period last year, Greek owners had refrained from ordering new tonnage, even though 13 vessels of this size were contracted globally.

According to Howe Robinson, the Capesize orderbook expanded by 24% in dwt terms between January and March 2026.

Xclusiv data shows the orderbook-to-fleet ratio currently stands at approximately 14% in dwt terms, the highest among all bulk carrier segments.