Maran Tankers has stepped back into the VLCC newbuilding market, sealing a four-ship deal at South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean after a four-year pause from ordering in the segment. Hanwha Ocean confirmed the contract on Monday, detailing a KRW 757.7bn ($516m) package for four 320,000 dwt crude carriers. The price works out at about $129m per vessel, in line with current levels for top-tier South Korean VLCC berths. Shipbuilding sources linked the order to the Maria Angelicoussis-led company, the crude arm of the Angelicoussis Shipping Group. The move extends a long relationship between the Greek owner and the yard, which delivered roughly 20 VLCCs to the group back when Hanwha Ocean operated as Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Maran’s last VLCC newbuildings — ordered at Samsung Heavy Industries in 2021 and delivered in 2023 — were the most recent additions to a fleet that numbers close to 30 VLCCs. The group’s newbuilding activity in recent years has centred on shuttle tankers in China and South Korea, with orders placed in 2023 and 2024. But with newbuilding demand heating up, Maran has now joined a fresh wave of VLCC contracting by Greek and European owners. Hanwha Ocean has been particularly active, securing VLCC business this year from Capital Maritime, Tsakos, and product-tanker heavyweight Scorpio. Chinese yards — especially Hengli Shipbuilding — have been another magnet for owners, with more than 20 VLCC orders logged year to date. For Maran, the four new ships secure late-2028 delivery slots at a time when top-tier yard capacity is tightening — and VLCC demand remains firmly in owners’ favour. Eastern Pacific Shipping has also returned to the sector with a pair of VLCCs at Hengli, its first since exiting in 2018. Elsewhere, Trafigura has doubled down at Jiangsu New Hantong Ship Heavy Industry, taking two more 319,000-dwt crude carriers for delivery in 2029 and 2030. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsGreece South Korea