China’s Yangpu Zhongxin Shipping has signed a contract for five 114,000-dwt LR2 product tankers at Yangzhou Longhe Shipbuilding, according to an official Jiangdu district government account.
The CNY2bn ($274m) contract, signed on April 11 in Yangzhou, marks a decisive entry by the Chinese owner into the LR2 segment from a bulk carrier base.
The vessels are specified as new-generation 114,000-dwt LR2 oil tankers, with Chinese-language materials indicating ice-class capability, pointing to potential deployment in harsher trading environments.
Available specifications point to ships of 249 metres in length and 44 metres in beam, incorporating fuel-efficiency and emissions-reduction features.
The yard operates under dual branding, with Yangzhou Longhe Shipbuilding identified in company materials and Yangzhou Ryuwa Shipbuilding used in parallel references, reflecting the same builder.
For Yangpu Zhongxin Shipping, the order signals a clear fleet diversification step into the product tanker segment, extending beyond its established bulker operations.
Yangzhou Longhe Shipbuilding is a shipbuilding company based in Jiangdu district of Yangzhou, engaged in the construction of bulk carriers, containerships, tankers and chemical tankers, and promoting vessel designs aligned with cleaner-energy solutions. The company reports a registered capital of $25m and identifies Yangzhou Longxing Bridge Steel Structure and Singapore’s Jinyang Investment Co. as its investors.
Yangpu Zhongxin Shipping is a China-based shipowning company associated with the Yangpu Economic Development Zone in Hainan.
