Swedish shipowner Rederi AB Veritas Tankers has been identified by shipbroking and market sources as the buyer behind a contract for up to six 13,000-dwt stainless steel chemical tankers at China’s Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment Co., Ltd. (ROC). The package, including options, is valued at RMB1.5 billion–RMB1.65 billion (approximately US$223 million–US$246 million), although neither the owner nor the builder has publicly confirmed the customer’s identity.

Contract includes options and remains subject to effectiveness conditions

ROC’s parent company, Shenzhen-listed Jiangsu Rainbow Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., disclosed the contract on 27 October, with the formal announcement dated 28 October 2026. The filing identifies the customer as an established European chemical shipping company, withholding its name on commercial confidentiality grounds. Riviera and Splash subsequently linked the order to Veritas, citing shipbroking and market sources.

The contract had been signed but had not yet become effective at the time of disclosure. Effectiveness depends on conditions including the builder receiving the buyer’s first payment. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in batches 28 months after effectiveness, with payments made against construction milestones. The company has not disclosed how many vessels are firm and how many are optional.

The stated package value represents 21.91%–24.10% of the parent company’s audited 2025 revenue. The final commitment will depend on the contractual conditions and the buyer’s decisions on optional vessels.

A substantial potential investment for a Donsö shipowner

Veritas is a family-owned tanker company based on Donsö, near Gothenburg. Its current business dates to 1983 and originated in the bunkering trade, while the family’s shipping history extends back to 1926. Ove Johnsson has wholly owned and controlled the company since 2022 and serves as managing director. Its website lists five tankers, including Astina, Astrea and Astral, which operate mainly in northern Europe.

The owner has already invested in Chinese-built tonnage through the secondhand market. In June 2025, Veritas announced an agreement to acquire Bit Wind and Bit Wave from Tarbit Tankers B.V. The vessels were subsequently renamed Astana and Astella. Both were built in 2022 at Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and Veritas lists their entry into its fleet in July 2025.

If Veritas is confirmed as the customer for the new ROC contract, a programme covering up to six ships would represent a substantial investment relative to its existing five-vessel fleet. Its eventual effect on fleet size will depend on the firm order commitment, the exercise of options and any disposal of older vessels. The maximum package should therefore not be interpreted as a confirmed six-ship expansion.

Ships designed for northern European parcel trades

Rainbow’s project announcement describes vessels intended for northern European operating conditions. Each ship will measure 132 metres in length overall and 21.8 metres in breadth, with 12 independent duplex stainless steel cargo tanks. The design is suited to narrow waterways and allows several categories of chemicals to be carried on the same voyage.

Those specifications point to regional parcel chemical tanker employment, where cargo flexibility and access to restricted waterways help determine commercial opportunities. The builder says the tank materials and arrangement address demanding cleanliness and corrosion-resistance requirements. For an operator carrying different chemical parcels within one sailing, these capabilities influence the range of cargoes and customers a vessel can serve.

Essberger programme provides construction experience

ROC’s earlier entry into stainless steel chemical tanker construction came through Germany’s John T. Essberger. That programme began with two firm 13,000-dwt vessels and four options in 2024. Two additional option vessels were contracted in early 2025, as previously reported by Xinde Marine News, taking the publicly reported commitment at that stage to four ships.

FKAB Marine Design identifies the Essberger ships as its T75 design, featuring ice class 1A and 18 independent duplex stainless steel cargo tanks. The vessels reserve provision for future installation of methanol fuel and wind-assisted propulsion systems. These specifications differ from the latest project’s disclosed 12-tank arrangement, despite both programmes occupying the same deadweight segment.

Construction of the Essberger series is progressing. FKAB recorded the first vessel’s steel-cutting ceremony on 21 November 2025, while Rainbow reported steel cutting for the third ship on 20 October 2026. The programme provides practical construction experience as the yard takes on another European chemical tanker contract.

Fleet renewal through ownership and chartering

The latest contract sits alongside other European investments in specialist tonnage. In August, Rainbow disclosed a separate agreement for up to six 4,500-cu-m live fish carriers, including options, valued at RMB2.8 billion–RMB3.3 billion (approximately US$417 million–US$492 million). That customer was also unnamed. The two programmes add distinct vessel types, each tailored to specific operating requirements, to ROC’s construction pipeline.

Within the regional tanker market, Denmark’s Uni-Tankers A/S has secured eight 7,600-dwt stainless steel chemical tanker newbuildings through agreements under which the vessels will join its fleet on time charter after delivery. Construction will take place at Haidong Shipyard in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, with deliveries starting in 2028. Uni-Tankers clarified that it is not purchasing the ships, demonstrating how operators can secure replacement capacity through long-term charter commitments as well as direct ownership.

For northern European chemical shipping, these projects concern fleet requirements several years ahead. With the latest ROC deliveries scheduled to begin only 28 months after contract effectiveness, the programme addresses capacity toward the end of the decade. Its eventual contribution to available tonnage will depend on the options exercised and the withdrawal or redeployment of existing ships as new vessels arrive.

US dollar equivalents use the 30 October 2026 RMB central parity reference rate of RMB6.7138 per US$1 and are rounded. They are indicative conversions rather than disclosed US dollar contract prices. www.safe.gov.cn