A major customer of the Japanese shipyards is Samos Steamship. The Greek shipping company added three more ships to its order book over the last months. These are two bulk carriers, kamsarmax type (capacity 82,000 dwt), one of which will be built in Sanoyas and the other in Oshima. Both will be delivered by the fourth quarter of 2025.
Samos Steamship has also agreed with the Sumitomo shipyard for another tanker, aframax type (115,000 dwt capacity), which will be ready in the second quarter of 2025. This shipyard has undertaken the construction of the same type of ship for the company, with estimated delivery time in the second quarter of this year. These will also be some of the last ships to be built by Sumitomo, which recently announced that it will exit the commercial shipbuilding business.
The orderbook of the Greek shipping company also includes another VLCC, which JMU is expected to deliver in the first quarter of 2025.
Samos Steamship’s active fleet includes, according to its website, 24 ships, 16 of which are tankers and eight bulk carriers.
Another company that trusts Japanese shipyards is Meadway Bulkers. The company has strengthened its shipbuilding program with two handysize bulkers (capacity 40,050 dwt each), which will be built by Namura and will be ready by the first quarter of 2026. It is noted that the company has a vessel under construction of the same type at Japan’s Onomichi Dockyard, which will be delivered this year.
The Greek shipping company also turned to the Japanese group Tsuneishi, and the shipyard it maintains in China (Zhoushan) for the construction of three ultramaxes (66,200 dwt capacity each), with deliveries by the third quarter of 2026.
Meadway Bulkers’ current fleet consists of 14 cargo vessels
