Greek owners embark on 115-vessel ordering spree across all shipping segments in three months

Allied Shipbroking reported this week that between March and late May, Greek owners placed firm orders for 115 vessels. Including options, the total could rise to 133 ships.

Tankers led the ordering spree with 40 vessels contracted, closely followed by container ships with 38 units. Newbuilding activity also remained strong in the dry bulk and gas carrier segments, accounting for 25 and 12 vessels, respectively.

Mapping out the timeline of these investments, the brokerage noted that March marked the start of a particularly active period. As tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz intensified, Greek owners moved aggressively into the tanker market.

During the month, they placed firm orders for 32 vessels, of which 23 were concentrated in the VLCC and Suezmax segments.

Major names including Maran Tankers, Dynacom Tankers, Capital Group, Lavinia Tankers, Chandris (Hellas), Arcadia Shipmanagement, Performance Shipping and Golden Energy were among the most active contractors.

Other segments also attracted investment, with Seanergy Maritime Holdings ordering bulk carriers, Costamare and Euroseas expanding their container ship fleets, and Maran Gas adding LNG carriers.

Activity remained robust in April, with Greek owners signing newbuilding contracts for 31 vessels as momentum shifted towards container ships and Kamsarmax bulk carriers.

The most active month was May, just ahead of Posidonia, with 52 firm vessels contracted. Capital Group, Safe Bulkers, Cape Shipping, EuroDry and DryDel Shipping were among the active players in the dry bulk segment, while TMS Cardiff Gas, Navios Maritime Partners and United Overseas Group added to their tanker and gas carrier fleets.

“Rather than a single-sector bet, the period reflects a broad fleet renewal programme,” Allied said. Despite rising geopolitical risks surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, Greek owners continued to use the newbuilding market as a key tool for long-term fleet positioning, it added.

According to Allied, deliveries of the vessels ordered during the period are largely scheduled between 2027 and 2030.

“Greek owners are not simply buying near-term capacity but securing yard slots across the late-decade delivery window, a sign that the investment is about forward fleet positioning rather than short-term cover,” the brokerage’s analysts said.