Carlova Maritime Orders Two Aframax Tankers at Imabari Shipbuilding
Carlova Maritime, led by Anthony Inglessis, has recently made significant strides in expanding its fleet by booking two 114,000 dwt aframax tankers with Imabari Shipbuilding, as reported by Splash. This marks a pivotal moment for the Greek owner, as it signifies their first newbuilding deals in Japan since emerging from the dismantling of Samos Steamship.
New Vessels Set to Join Fleet in 2029-2030
According to the firm’s updated fleet register, these vessels are scheduled for delivery during the fourth quarter of 2029 and the first quarter of 2030. While the financial terms of these contracts remain undisclosed, shipbuilding sources in Japan have revealed that Imabari and Japan Shipyard have been awarded the construction of these two tankers. Notably, a portion of the hull work is expected to be carried out at Sumitomo Heavy Industries’ Yokosuka yard, with Imabari opting for subcontracting exceptionally large mega-blocks for this project instead of conventional hull sections.
Expanding Footprint and Orderbook
For Carlova’s shipping interests, this transaction represents a return to their roots, as the majority of their operating fleet consists of Japanese-built vessels. The addition of these new aframax tankers from Imabari complements the company’s existing fleet, which includes vessels like the aframax Phaedra and Penelope, both constructed by Sumitomo.
Over the years, Carlova has expanded its newbuilding footprint beyond Japan, venturing into South Korea and China. Earlier reports from Splash indicated the addition of a second 300,000 dwt VLCC at Hanwha Ocean and another 114,000 dwt aframax at Hengli Heavy Industries, with an additional 82,000 dwt kamsarmax also joining the Hengli program. With these recent acquisitions, Carlova’s publicly disclosed orderbook now stands at six ships, comprising VLCCs from Hanwha Ocean, aframax and kamsarmax vessels from Hengli, and the latest additions from Imabari.
