UK’s largest shipowner, Zodiac Maritime, has continued to expand its newbuilding programme with an order of four suezmax tankers at Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry, taking its total suezmax orderbook up to nine vessels. This is alongside a commitment of up to 10 VLCCs at the yard, making Zodiac Maritime the largest owner working with Hantong.
The new vessels, scheduled for delivery from 2029, form part of Zodiac Maritime’s ongoing investment across the tanker markets. The company has around 200 ships in its fleet, including approximately 80 tanker vessels across crude, product, gas and chemical sectors. It remains active across segments, having taken delivery of two aframaxes from Yangzijiang Shipbuilding last year, with dual-fuel aframaxes on order, and was invited by the yard to be their first owner to order LR2 tankers.
ZODIAC MARITIME EXTENDS NEWBUILD BACKLOG WITH SUEZMAX TANKER ORDER AT JIANGSU HANTONG
By Robert Willmington, 21 May 2026, Lloyd’s List
- Deal strengthens company’s growing tanker orderbook and deepens its relationship with Chinese shipyard following containership and VLCC contracts
- Zodiac Maritime’s backlog of newbuildings has now reached over 50 ships, with delivery through to 2029
London-headquartered shipowner has ordered four 158,000 dwt suezmax crude oil tankers with deliveries scheduled for 2029
ZODIAC Maritime has returned to Chinese shipbuilder Jiangsu Hantong Ship Heavy Industry with an order for a new series of crude oil tankers.
The newbuilding contract follows the London-headquartered company’s December 2025 contracts for six 9,000 teu containerships and eight very large crude carriers at the same yard.
Its latest order is for four 158,000 dwt suezmax vessels with delivery confirmed for 2029.
Jiangsu Hantong Heavy Industry has won several significant newbuilding contracts in recent months.
In addition to the Zodiac Maritime orders, the yard won eight very large crude carriers from compatriot shipowner Yangzijiang Maritime in April.
Last December, state-owned Cosco contracted 10 kamsarmax bulk carriers at Jiangsu Hantong Heavy Industry for delivery in 2027 and 2028.
With its latest order, Zodiac Maritime’s backlog of new suezmax tankers has been extended to nine vessels.
In October last year, the company contracted three suezmaxes, later extended to five, at South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries.
The five vessels will be mainly constructed at the Petrovietnam-controlled PVSM shipyard, formerly Dung Quat Shipbuilding Industry, which is being upgraded via a joint venture with Samsung.
Earlier this week, Zodiac Maritime was also confirmed to have ordered two 7,000 ceu vehicle carriers from China’s Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard.
The liquefied natural gas dual-fuel ships are being built to the same design as 10 vessels contracted from the yard between 2021 and 2023.
Other newbuilding contracts signed by the Eyal Ofer-chaired company in recent months included five containerships booked at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in October 2025.
All five vessels are backed by long-term time charters to Hong Kong container line OOCL.
More recently, the company was linked to an order for three very large ammonia carriers at South Korean yard Hanwha Ocean, placed earlier this month.
Zodiac Maritime’s existing fleet spans the containership, dry cargo, gas, tanker and vehicle carrier sectors and numbers a combined 170 vessels.
The company has taken delivery of some 70 newbuildings since 2018, across all of Zodiac Maritime’s vessel segments.
With the latest order, its backlog of newbuildings has reached over 50 ships, with delivery through to 2029.