German owner GEFO is expanding its newbuilding programme with more chemical tankers in China.

The Hamburg-headquartered company has returned to Xiangyu shipyard in Nantong for two firm and two optional 7，900 dwt vessels， adding to its series of ten 3，850 dwt stainless steel units booked for construction earlier this year.

The ice class 1A newbuilds， with hulls optimized for weather conditions in the North Sea and Baltic Sea， are scheduled for delivery in late 2026 and early 2027. The ships will feature main engines with reduced output as well as readiness for Flettner rotor sails and methanol fuel retrofit， the company said.

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