There has been much talk in recent years about the container ship order book and the imbalances that will come to the market from multiple newbuilt deliveries amid sluggish demand.
The situation certainly looks alarming. In the last two years, however, more agreements have been recorded for the construction of tankers.
More specifically, the order book for certain types of tankers seem to be moving upwards.
The most characteristic example is the oil product tankers, type LR2, with a capacity of approximately 115,000 DWT.
According to data shared with “Naftemporiki” by Xclusiv Shipbrokers, at the end of September, LR2 tankers under construction accounted for almost 20% (19.82%) of the fleet.
In other words, a total of 86 ships will be delivered from the shipyards in the coming years, while the total active fleet currently consists of 434 ships.
From September 2021 to September 2023, the order book for these types of tankers has jumped by 132%.
At the same time, the new contracts for shipbuilding reached 52 in the nine-month period compared to 22 in 2022, representing an increase of 136.36%.
