Euronav orders green-methanol bitumen tankers

Euronav NV has ordered two 17,000dwt bitumen tankers at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) Dingheng Co., Ltd. in China. Due for delivery in the final quarter of 2026, the tankers will have dual-fuel green-methanol engines that can be retrofitted later for operation on ammonia.

The vessels are about twice the size of most ships in the 230-bitumen tanker fleet. They will be used mainly for the carriage of asphalt at temperatures of up to 250°C.

They will both be deployed on ten-year charters from delivery to ‘a strong counterparty’, Euronav said. The contracts take the company’s forward charter cover to a value of USD 1.975 billion.

Euronav CEO, Alexander Saverys, said: "With the new orders for two state-of-the-art and green newbuilding bitumen tankers, we continue to execute our strategy of diversification and decarbonisation of our fleet. In recent months, we have secured a total of 55 years of time charter cover thanks to the great support of top-class companies. This proves that our customers are ready to partner up with Euronav and CMB.TECH to develop future-proof solutions for the shipping industry."

“We will continue to develop innovative low-carbon solutions for our customers and will accelerate our investments in the maritime energy transition. Decarbonise today; navigate tomorrow!” he added.