Laskaridis Shipping linked to order for Suezmax pair in South Korea, signalling tanker expansion

DH Shipbuilding disclosed on 15 January that it has secured two additional 157,000-dwt Suezmaxes, following a similar contract announced earlier this week with Nordic American Tankers.

In its latest announcement, the shipbuilder stated that the buyer is an unidentified Liberia-based shipowner. Shipbroking and market sources have pointed to Laskaridis Shipping, which has been approached for comment.

The contract is valued at approximately US$172M, with deliveries scheduled through April 2029.

If confirmed, the order would represent a significant scale-up in Laskaridis Shipping’s tanker ventures. Equasis currently lists the company as operating smaller product tankers, while it is also overseeing a newbuilding programme of three MR2 vessels in China, two of which have already joined the fleet.

In addition to its tanker activity, the Greek owner reported last October the delivery of an 82,500-dwt Kamsarmax bulk carrier, part of an eight-ship orderbook under construction at various Chinese yards.

Laskaridis Shipping and sister company Lavinia Corp manage one of the largest Greek-controlled fleets, spanning bulk carriers, tankers, and refrigerated cargo vessels.

Strong start to the year

DH Shipbuilding has opened 2026 with strong momentum, securing four Suezmax tankers in the first two weeks of January.

The yard said it has outperformed competitors in the Suezmax segment at the start of the year and emphasised that the latest contracts were concluded with new customers.

DH Shipbuilding added that the deals – worth roughly US$340M – already account for about 30% of its annual order target.

“Building on the strong brand competitiveness we have established in this sector, we will continue to deliver stable and consistent performance throughout the year,” a company representative said.