Hayfin invests in up to four methanol-ready Suezmaxes

Europe’s shipping investor Hayfin has placed an order for up to four ‘enhanced methanol ready’ Suezmax tankers at South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI).

The contract includes two firm 158,000-dwt tankers and options for two more sister vessels with the delivery of the firm units scheduled for the first half of 2026. 

“The newbuild program is part of Hayfin’s investment focus in carbon-efficient assets across critical downstream commodity supply chains,” said Andreas Povlsen, Head of Maritime at Hayfin Capital Management.

The order was already revealed by the South Korean shipbuilder HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) earlier this week.

The two new vessels will be built under a KRW 231.8 billion ($171 million) contract, and the units are slated for delivery by March 2026.

Hayfin said that the investment aligns with successful co-investments in emissions abatement technology made together with blue chip charterers, like the recently announced Greenheart partnership with Njord and Marsoft.

As part of the partnership, Njord will design a bespoke package of fuel-saving technologies on, initially, four Greenheart-owned vessels, to achieve fuel and emission cuts of between seven and 16 per cent per vessel.

“These investments have been made on assets with longer term-charters and are designed to provide the end user community with a more carbon-efficient asset base, supporting the evolution towards a sustainable global infrastructure complex,” the company said in a statement.

Hayfin has an alternative investment platform with $32 billion worth of assets under management.

It maintains a discrete profile but has a sizeable maritime industry footprint with continuous investment activity across direct lending, alternative credit, leasing and ship ownership, complete with an in-house ship management platform, Greenheart Shipping.