Thun Tankers selects Avic Dingheng to build four new tankers

Erik Thun Group subsidiary Thun Tankers has placed an order with China's Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding for the construction of four new 17,500dwt tankers.

Erik Thun Group subsidiary Thun Tankers has placed an order with China's Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding for the construction of four new 17,500dwt tankers.

The new vessels will be built in compliance with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) type II requirement for product / chemical tankers, and are to be commercially managed by Gothia Tanker Alliance member Furetank Chartering.

The newbuilds will feature various tailor made solutions to meet Erik the requirements of Erik Thun Group customers, with particular focus given to energy efficiency, sustainability, new regulations and other requirements.

Delivery of the vessels is scheduled to be carried out between April 2019 and January 2020.

Erik Thun managing director Anders Källsson said: “In Erik Thun, we have a long history of building, owning, and operating both tankers and dry cargo ships in different sizes and with different trading areas, always with the focus on our clients’ needs.

“We have built and operated intermediate size product tankers in the past and are comfortable to re-enter into the intermediate segment with our new-buildings.

“To commercially place the vessels with our close partner Furetank was a natural decision for us.”

"We have built and operated intermediate size product tankers in the past and are comfortable to re-enter into the intermediate segment with our new-buildings."

The latest order has brought Erik Thun Group’s total new-buildings order to 11. In addition to five intermediate tankers, The company has also ordered four 8,000dwt coastal tankers at Sheepswerf Ferus Smit in the Netherlands to be delivered between 2018 and 2021.

Erik Thun deputy managing director Johan Källsson said: “With the investments in intermediate tankers we do not only deepen our good co-operation further with the partners in the Gothia Tanker Alliance, together with our smaller coastal tankers we can also widen our joint offering towards our customers.”

Thun Tankers previously placed a joint order with Furetank Rederi and Rederi AB Älvtank for six 16,300dwt intermediate tankers with liquefied natural gas (LNG) propulsion.

The vessels are currently being built at Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding yard in China.

Image: Thun Tankers orders four new tankers. Photo: courtesy of Gothia Tanker Alliance.