Japan Marine United Clinches Orders for Three VLCCs

Tokyo-headquartered shipbuilder Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU) has received orders for three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) from two buyers, according to data released by VesselsValue.

Namely, Japanese shipping company JX Ocean placed an order for two VLCCs, while its compatriot shipowner Kyoei Tanker ordered one VLCC.

Featuring 300,000 dwt, all three ships are scheduled to join their owners in 2018.

VesselsValue added that the market value of each of the ships stands at USD 81.1 million.

The 160,000 gross ton ECO tankers would have a length of 330 meters and a width of 60 meters.

The order was placed amid a slowdown in the shipbuilding industry as Japan-based shipbuilders received only eight exporting orders during July 2016, representing a significant drop from 25 orders placed in the same month a year earlier.

Data from Japan Ship Exporters’ Association (JSEA) shows that, during the three-month period from April to July 2016, Japan received 26 export orders featuring some 1 million gross tons in total, compared to 162 export orders with a total of 8,95 million gross tons seen in the same period in 2015.

World Maritime News Staff