Chemical Tankers News

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced the launch of the sixth edition of its benchmark publication, the Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals). First published in 1971, the Tanker Safety Guide (Chemicals) is an industry reference for the safe operation of chemical tankers. This new edition provides up‑to‑date, practical guidance for those serving on board ships carrying hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk under MARPOL Annex II, supporting safe, compliant and pollution‑free operations.The sixth edition incorporates substantial updates to reflect evolving industry practice…

Ernst Russ AG has entered into an agreement to acquire four modern IMO Type II chemical/product tankers of the Intermediate class (18,500 dwt), with all four vessels secured under fixed charters of at least five years from delivery. The charter backlog of the Ernst Russ Group increases by approximately $126 million.The four newbuildings, built at Wuhu Shipyard Co., Ltd., China, feature a technical specification that clearly positions them in the premium segment:Twelve tanks with high-quality MarineLINE coating enable the transport of a broad range of cargo including vegetable oils…

Exxon Mobil is set to ship around 600,000 barrels of fuel from the U.S. Gulf Coast to cover its own import requirements in Australia, the first such shipments by the oil major, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.The planned shipments, on a route rarely used for refined products flows, show how severely global oil trade has been impacted by the near-complete halt of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz after Iran began striking vessels in the waterway this week in retaliation for U.S.

Marcura has acquired Shipdem, a UK-based specialist in chemical tanker laytime and demurrage, from its parent company, Casper Shipping. Shipdem brings expertise in chemical tanker demurrage, where operational complexity and contractual nuance demand technical knowledge and disciplined claims handling process. The acquisition follows HubSE in 2025 and continues Marcura’s investment in claims management capabilities across all major cargo types. HubSE’s self-service technology for tanker demurrage complements Shipdem’s fully managed service capability…

Chemical tanker operator Chemship has placed a repeat order with Dutch wind propulsion specialist Econowind for the installation of VentoFoils on two additional vessels, expanding its use of wind-assisted ship propulsion technology.Chemship said Chemical Contender and Chemical Fighter will each be fitted with four 16-meter ATEX-proof VentoFoils in the second half of 2026, as part of efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across its fleet.The decision follows the installation of four 16-meter VentoFoils on Chemical Challenger in early 2024…

Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) has signed its first newbuild contract for six IMO Type II chemical tankers, marking a milestone for India’s commercial shipbuilding sector and the country’s first chemical tanker order placed with a domestic shipyard.The contract, valued at $227 million, was awarded by European shipowner Rederiet Stenersen AS and covers six 18,000 deadweight-tonne vessels to be built at SDHI’s shipyard in Pipavav, Gujarat. The agreement also includes an…

Lila Global, a ship owner operating crude oil and chemical/product tankers, has joined the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO).Lila Global operates eight tankers trading across crude oil and refined product markets. The fleet comprises two crude oil tankers and six product and chemical tankers, classed with leading classification societies.Leading tanker managers in Dubai and Singapore provide technical management and run the vessels under established tanker safety and quality systems…

Marine battery manufacturer AYK Energy has signed a second contract with Spanish ship owner Mureloil, extending the use of battery-supported diesel-electric propulsion into the chemical tanker segment.The agreement follows the installation of a battery system on Mureloil’s 8,000-deadweight-tonne tanker Bahía Candela and will see AYK supply an identical 4.2 MWh Aries+ battery system for its sister vessel Bahía Beatriz, currently under construction at Astilleros de Murueta shipyard near Bilbao.Battery systems are widely used in ferries and workboats…

Anemoi Marine Technologies, the U.K.-based designer of Rotor Sails for wind-assisted ship propulsion, has signed a deal to install its Rotor Sails on two newbuild chemical tankers under construction for Union Maritime.The 18,500 DWT vessels, to be built by Wuhu Shipyard Co in China, will feature a combination of technologies and retrofit readiness to safeguard cost-effective decarbonization across their lifecycle.The Rotor Sails are set to be installed at Wuhu in early 2026 after…

On October 9, 2025, the Fratelli Cosulich Group launched Maya Cosulich — the world’s first methanol-powered IMO II chemical bunker tanker — at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipyard.The ceremony was attended by Ms. Hoe Sook Mei from the Fratelli Cosulich Singapore office, who served as the Godmother of Maya Cosulich. Designed by SeaTech Solutions International Pte Ltd, the Maya Cosulich features diesel-electric propulsion, onboard battery storage, and two mass flow meters (MFMs). Fully compliant with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s (MPA) methanol bunkering standards…

NYK Stolt Tankers, a joint venture between NYK and Stolt Tankers, has signed a contract with Nantong Xiangyu Shipyard in China to build two parcel chemical tankers.Scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029, the vessels will join the chemical tanker pool operated by Stolt Tankers.This order brings the total number of chemical tankers under construction to eight, including the six vessels ordered from the same shipyard in 2024.Parcel tankers are multi-purpose chemical tankers that can carry various cargo…

James Fisher and Sons, a global provider of marine solutions, has marked the start of construction of its chemical tankers fleet with the laying of the keel for the first vessel, Orca Fisher, at the China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard (YZDH).Orca Fisher is the first of four next-generation vessels - known as the Sealife class - introduced as part of James Fisher’s Fleet of the Future, a long-term program to modernize its tankships fleet with more efficient, lower-carbon vessels that support the use of alternative fuel propulsion.The new vessels - which includes Orca Fisher…

Bergen Tankers and Equinor have signed a long-term charter agreement for two oil/chemical tanker newbuilds with an electric propulsion system, which aim to set a new standard for low emissions at the Norwegian Coast.The Norway-based companies selected Berg Propulsion as the system integrator for these DNV ice-classed tankers. The newbuild 6,500 dwt stainless steel tankers will be built by Zhoushan Dashenzhou Shipbuilding in China.The vessels will include two electric drive controllable…

The US Coast Guard Sector San Juan marine investigators and vessel inspection teams are investigating two separate and unrelated vessel fires in Puerto Rico.Both vessel fires were successfully extinguished, and there are currently no reports of marine pollution or reported injuries in either case.The most recent vessel fire occurred Saturday morning aboard the M/T Scot Stuttgart, a Marshall Islands flagged 383-foot chemical tank ship, while the vessel was moored at Puerto Nuevo Channel’s N Wharf.At 3:43 a.m.…

Ohio headquartered manufacturer Advanced Polymer Coatings (APC) is ramping up its manufacturing operation after signing a major new contract with Hafnia, the world’s largest operator of product and chemical tankers.The deal will see APC’s MarineLINE tank coating system applied to 10 chemical tankers in the Hafnia fleet over a two-year period.The tankers that will undertake the recoating process were brought into Hafnia’s fleet through acquisitions it made in January 2022. A number of them are already coated with MarineLINE…

French engineering firm GTT has booked an order from Samsung Heavy Industries for the tank design of three new very large ethane carriers (VLECs), bound to become the world’s largest VLECs.The three ethane carriers will each feature a total capacity of 100,000 m3 and will be fitted with GTT’s Mark III membrane containment system.The VLECs will be able to trade various types of liquefied gases such as Ethane, ethylene, propane, butane, LPG and Propylene.The increase in cargo tank capacity from the previous 98…

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has announced Caribe Tankers USA, Inc (CTU) will trial Inmarsat’s fully managed bonded connectivity service, NexusWave, on board the chemical tankers Caribe Maria and Caribe Luna as the company seeks a reliable solution to best serve operational and crew connectivity.By combining multiple network underlays in one fully managed, bonded solution, Inmarsat’s NexusWave enables applications to leverage the aggregate capacity of all available networks rather than relying on one underlay at a time.

Norwegian tanker company Odfjell has reported its results for the preliminary full-year and fourth quarter of 2024 indicating a record strong year.The company has continued to perform well in the final quarter of the year despite a slightly softer market. It delivered a solid financial result in line with Q4 2023 but below record levels from the last three quarters. Time charter earnings ended at $183 million, compared to $202 million in Q3 2024.The company’s quarterly net result adjusted for one-off items was $53 million compared to $71 million in Q3 2024.During the quarter…

Belgian oil tanker group CMB.TECH has signed an agreement with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and MOL Chemical Tankers (MOLCT) for nine ammonia-powered vessels.The vessels will be among the world's first ammonia-powered Newcastlemax bulk carriers and chemical tankers. The delivery of these ships is expected between 2026 and 2029.The landmark agreement between MOL/MOLCT, and CMB.TECH involves nine ammonia-powered ships.Three ammonia-fitted 210.000 dwt Newcastlemax bulk carriers, currently on order at Qingdao Beihai Shipyard…

Abu Dhabi's Al Seer Marine, a subsidiary of International Holding Company (IHC), has taken delivery of two new Medium Range (MR) tankers, M.T. Saiph and her sister ship from K Shipbuilding Korea.Each vessel is equipped with an Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (EGCS) and engineered to accommodate alternative fuels such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), ammonia, and methanol.With a deadweight of 49,757 MT each, the two modern vessels are IMO II/III oil and chemical tankers carefully engineered…

bound4blue and Odfjell have partnered to complete the first installation of a wind propulsion system for the chemical tanker specialist, with four of bound4blue’s eSAILs retrofitted on the 49’k dwt Bow OlympusThe 22-meter-tall suction sails will help the advanced vessel achieve significant fuel savings, unlocking commercial, environmental and regulatory advantage. A tailored two-step installation process was deployed to accommodate the vessel’s schedule, with the installation completed in just two days.Firstly…

Odfjell’s chemical tanker Bow Olympus is currently crossing the Atlantic powered by a combination of wind-assisted propulsion and a certified sustainable 100% biofuel, marking the company’s first near carbon-neutral transatlantic voyage.Real-time data from the voyage confirms that the dual propulsion approach is both technically feasible and impactful, as the vessel’s GHG emissions on the current voyage meet the 2050 Fuel EU Maritime GHG intensity targets and IMO’s GFI Direct…

The Baltic Exchange has launched a new series of chemical and agricultural oil assessments.The Baltic Chemical and Agricultural Oil Assessments (BCAA) will be produced on a weekly basis as of February 2025. The assessments are designed to serve a segment of the freight market – across owners, charterers, brokers and trading companies.The BCAA will offer insights into a series of trade routes covering “easy-chemicals” like benzene, biofuels and caustic soda, as well as vegetable oils.