GEFO orders ten stainless steel chemical tankers in China

Germany-based family-owned shipping company GEFO has decided to invest ‘a three-digit million amount’ in ten new 3,850 dwt tankers.

The units have been ordered at Xiangyu shipyard in Nantong, China, and are planned for delivery between 2026 and 2028.

The special tankers will have stainless steel tanks for chemical cargoes.

As explained, the new sea-going vessels have been further optimized compared to the company’s last series so that they consume less fuel and produce correspondingly lower emissions.

The ships are also designed in such a way that various environmentally friendly optimizations can be carried out at a later stage and innovative fuels can be used, according to the company.

These newbuilds will serve to expand GEFO’s fleet and replace some of the vessels that will reach the maximum age of 20 years accepted by most chemical shippers between 2028 and 2030.

GEFO’s fleet comprises a total of 150 tankers, including chemical, gas and mineral oil tankers, which are deployed on the Rhine and in the ARA (Antwerp/Rotterdam/Amsterdam) chemical triangle.

The new order comes as GEFO is finalizing its current €400 million investment program encompassing a range of eco-friendly specialized tankers. In summer 2024, the company will take delivery of the final newbuilding within this program.

Once completed, the investment program will result in 26 newbuilds and 13 purchases of modern tonnage.