COSCO to double large oil tanker fleet

State-owned China Ocean Shipping (Group) Co., commonly known as COSCO Group, said it plans to nearly double its fleet of large oil tankers to meet booming demand for crude oil imports in the country.

“We need at least 15 VLCCs (very large crude carriers) to meet our current needs,” COSCO Group president Wei Jiafu said Thursday on the sidelines of a shipping summit in Shenzhen.

“Already, we have eight orders, and six have been delivered,” he said.