K LINE orders three VLCCs at Nihon Shipyard

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE) has signed agreements with Nihon Shipyard Co Ltd for the construction of three 311,000dwt VLCCs. The Malaccamax tankers are to be designed specifically to carry crude oil from the Middle East to Asia via the Strait of Malacca.

Nihon Shipyard is a joint venture company established in 2021 as a partnership between Imabari Shipbuilding Co. Ltd and Japan Marine United Corporation.

The company said in a statement: “K LINE will continue to contribute to a stable energy supply, particularly for Japan, during the transition toward decarbonisation, by providing safe and stable crude oil transportation services leveraging the K LINE Group’s expertise in the transportation of crude oil and the high-quality operations it has developed over many years.”

The tankers are due for delivery in 2029.