Stena Bulk to charter in eco MR tanker newbuild quartet
Written by Nick Blenkey
Erik Hånell. president & CEO, Stena Bulk: “We look forward to continuing to work pragmatically in the coming months and years.”
Gothenburg headquartered Stena Bulk has reached five-year agreements that will see it charter in four newbuild eco MR tankers set to be delivered in 2025 and 2026
Two of the medium range, Stena Continent and Stena Conquest, will be delivered from Hyundai Mipo by the end of 2025. Two further eco MR tankers, Stena Contender and Stena Concept, will follow from the same shipbuilder in 2026. All vessels are set to use Hyundai Mipo’s latest eighth-generation MR tanker design, consuming just 15 tonnes of fuel per day, when laden, at 13 knots. They are also scrubber fitted to ensure global sulfur cap compliance.
This news follows in the footsteps of Stena Bulk’s success with Stena Convoy and Stena Conductor which, when they were delivered in 2022, became the most fuel-efficient MR tankers at sea.
Like those ships, the new additions to the Stena Bulk fleet will be chartered from a Japanese owner.
Stena Bulk says the agreement strengthens its ties to the Asia Pacific region, as all vessels are owned by one of the largest private shipowners in Japan.
“Our long-term fleet expansion strategy always requires us to act flexibly and intelligently with the best interests of our customers at the forefront,” says Stena Bulk, president and CEO Erik Hånell. “The current landscape of costly short-term time charters means we need to think differently, which is why we are proud to sign these four long-term newbuild charter deals. The market-leading sustainability performance of these vessels will help to underpin our sustainability strategy, but the stability that these long-term deals afford will create assurance for our customers globally.
“We look forward to continuing to work pragmatically in the coming months and years, leaving no stone unturned in our pursuit to create a truly market leading tanker fleet.”
