Pemont Orders Two LR2 Tankers, Dynacom Adds Four VLCCs at Hengli Heavy Industry

Italian owner Pemont has placed its first order with Hengli Heavy Industry for two LR2 product tankers, while Greek shipping group Dynacom has returned for another four VLCCs, taking its total VLCC commitments at the Chinese shipbuilder to 20 vessels.

Chinese shipbuilder Hengli Heavy Industry has secured another six tanker newbuildings from two prominent European shipowners, further strengthening its position in the international tanker market.

According to Hengli Heavy Industry, Italy’s Pemont has signed contracts for two LR2 product tankers, while Greece’s Dynacom has ordered four very large crude carriers (VLCCs).

The two deals highlight two different aspects of Hengli’s expanding international customer base: Pemont is a new client for the yard, while Dynacom is becoming one of its largest repeat customers in the VLCC segment.

Hengli has not disclosed the contract prices, delivery dates or propulsion arrangements for the six vessels.

Pemont makes first move into Hengli

The order from Pemont marks the Italian shipowner’s first LR2 newbuilding contract with Hengli Heavy Industry.

Hengli described the deal as an important breakthrough in the southern European market, noting that Pemont places demanding requirements on environmental performance, construction quality and vessel operating standards.

For Hengli, the significance therefore goes beyond the addition of another two ships to its orderbook. The contract brings another European tanker owner into its customer portfolio and provides further evidence that its LR2 platform is gaining traction among international owners.

LR2 tankers are widely deployed in long-haul refined-product trades and require high standards in hull construction, cargo tank coating, fuel efficiency and emissions performance.

Hengli said the LR2 has already become one of its standardised ship types, with a growing orderbook allowing the yard to move toward more regular production cycles and batch deliveries.

That production model could become increasingly important as Hengli seeks to build scale in the product tanker sector alongside its rapidly expanding crude tanker business.

Dynacom takes VLCC tally at Hengli to 20

The larger part of the latest package comes from Dynacom, which has signed for another four VLCCs.

The new order takes Dynacom’s total VLCC commitments at Hengli Heavy Industry to 20 vessels, according to the shipbuilder. Of these, four have already been delivered, with Hengli saying their operational performance has been well received by the market.

The figure is significant.

A 20-ship programme represents a substantial long-term relationship between owner and yard, particularly in the VLCC sector, where owners closely scrutinise construction quality, fuel efficiency, equipment selection and operational performance before returning with repeat orders.

Hengli’s own material shows the yard building 306,000-dwt VLCCs, and the company says it has established a mature system covering in-house design, block construction, final assembly and serial delivery of the vessel type.

Dynacom’s decision to continue placing VLCCs at the yard after the first vessels have already entered service is therefore particularly notable. Repeat business after delivery provides a stronger commercial endorsement than an initial order alone.

New customers and repeat business

Taken together, the Pemont and Dynacom contracts illustrate how Hengli is expanding its tanker franchise on two fronts.

With Pemont, Hengli has secured a new European customer for its LR2 design. With Dynacom, it has deepened an established relationship through another sizeable VLCC order.

Hengli said the simultaneous orders from the two European owners represent further recognition of its shipbuilding capabilities and an important step in expanding its international customer base.

The development also reinforces the yard’s broader strategy of building a more comprehensive commercial-vessel portfolio across containers, bulkers, tankers and gas carriers — a strategy Hengli describes in Chinese as its “container, bulk, tanker and gas” product matrix.

The shipbuilder said it intends to continue pushing these vessel types toward higher levels of digitalisation, sophistication and environmental performance.

For the tanker segment in particular, the latest six-ship package adds momentum to Hengli’s expansion.

Two LR2s for Pemont and four more VLCCs for Dynacom bring another major batch of European-controlled tanker tonnage to the Chinese yard. More importantly, Dynacom’s VLCC tally at Hengli has now reached 20 ships, while Pemont has joined the yard’s growing list of international tanker customers.