On September 18, Yangzijiang Maritime Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Yangzijiang Maritime”) announced that the group has recently signed newbuilding orders for a total of 24 vessels, all to be built by Chinese shipyards, with deliveries scheduled between 2028 and 2030.

Specifically, the 24 newbuildings include:

- Six bulk carrier newbuildings of approximately 64,500 dwt each, scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030;

- Six product/chemical tanker newbuildings of approximately 49,800 dwt each, scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2030;

- Four stainless steel chemical tanker newbuildings of approximately 28,000 dwt each, scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029;

- Four stainless steel chemical tanker newbuildings of approximately 29,000 dwt each, scheduled for delivery in 2028 and 2029;

- Four oil tanker newbuildings of approximately 319,000 dwt each, scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030.

These newbuildings will be funded through a combination of equity co-investment and debt financing.

In addition, Yangzijiang Maritime also signed options for another 16 vessels, enabling the group to further expand its fleet when market conditions are favorable, while pursuing disciplined fleet expansion and limiting upfront capital commitments.

According to the company announcement, following the signing of the above orders, the group’s newbuilding portfolio has increased to 98 vessels (including options), of which:

- 7 delivered newbuildings, including one vessel delivered to the buyer under a ship sale contract;

- 75 firm newbuildings under construction, of which 12 have been resold, including one vessel delivered to the buyer under a ship sale contract;

- 16 optional newbuildings for future market-driven strategic growth opportunities.

The 24 newbuildings will be built in accordance with IACS classification standards and high technical and environmental standards, and will be equipped with comprehensive ecological additional class notations, highlighting the group’s commitment to sustainable development, operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.

Ren Yuanlin, Executive Chairman and CEO of Yangzijiang Maritime, said: “The addition of these 24 newbuildings demonstrates our confidence in the industry and our commitment to seizing these opportunities, with a focus on proven, environmentally compliant vessel designs to meet the evolving needs of the maritime industry increasingly affected by environmental regulations and the transition to low-emission shipping. These newbuildings will further expand, strengthen and modernize our fleet composition, and are expected to bring stronger earnings visibility and long-term growth opportunities.”

For Yangzijiang Maritime itself, this order has also pushed its “100-vessel plan” into its final stage. Under the company’s previous plan, it aimed to place cumulative orders for more than 100 new vessels by the end of 2026. With the 24 firm vessels plus 16 options finalized, its newbuilding portfolio has reached 98 vessels, leaving a gap of only 2 vessels from that round-number threshold. Once some of the 16 options are gradually converted into firm vessels, or additional new orders are placed later, it may only be a matter of time before Yangzijiang Maritime crosses the 100-vessel threshold.