Greeks lead in 2019 new vessel orders
Global orders for new oceangoing vessels dropped to record lows after the year’s second quarter, but Greek shipowners remained the leaders in orders across the entire range of tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers, according to a survey by VesselsValue.
The report signed by VesselsValue’s head cargo analyst Olivia Watkins revealed a major decline in orders across the board, with the total number of dry-bulk carrier newbuild orders down 73 percent in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, and tanker orders down 47 percent from H1 2018.
“Countries leading the way in terms of number of orders are Greece and Singapore. The Greeks have been ordering any tanker size ranging from VLCCs down to MR2s with 90 percent of the orders placed at South Korean yards,” the report noted.
LNG newbuild orders dropped 39 percent in the first half of 2019, but “the Greeks are leading the way with the number of orders placed. Since the beginning of the year, Maran Gas Maritime has ordered a total of five vessels, all on separate occasions,” the VesselsValue report said, referring to the gas arm of the Angelicoussis Group.
