D'Amico Tankers (Ireland) has ordered two 75,000dwt eco-LR1 product tankers at Hyundai Mipo at a price of US$44m each.

The vessels will be constructed in Vietnam by Vinashin Shipyard and the delivery is expected in mid-2017, according to parent company D'Amico International.

"The trend of our industry is pointing towards an expansion of the tonne/mile demand, following the concentration of the world refining capacity in the US and in the Middle and Far East," said Marco Fiori, CEO of D'Amico International Shipping.

"In this context, I believe LR1s , with their larger cargo capacity, will be in great demand in the years to come, thanks to their ability to carry larger quantities on the same distances. In fact, we are actually seeing a constantly growing demand from oil majors and leading market players for these types of ships."
The two tankers will be built to a fuel-efficient specification, and an energy efficiency design index (EEDI) rating that D'Amico says is 25% below the current IMO reference line and well within the IMO phase-in II requirements for vessels built before 2024.

D'Amico Tankers (Ireland) currently operates three 50,000dwt MR chemical/product tankers, all built in 2014.

At the start of April, D'Amico Tankers Limited (Ireland) fixed three-year timecharters for three of its MR product tanker newbuildings to an unnamed oil major.