China Shipping Industry (Jiangsu) has inked a contract to build four tankers -two LR2s and two Suezmaxes – for Trade and Transport Inc., a company owned by Greek shipping magnate Gregory Callimanopulos.  

All four tankers are slated for delivery in the second half of 2017.

The two 114,000dwt LR2 tankers will be 250 meters long, 44 meters wide, with a draft of 13.5 meters. The MAN B & W 6G60ME-C9.5 main engine will push the vessels to a maximum speed of 14.5 knots.

The 158,000dwt Suezmax tankers will be 274 meters long, with a molded breadth of 48 meters and a draft of 16 meters. The two Suezmaxes will be powered by the same engine as the LR2s, and will have the same maximum speed of 14.5 knots.

The vessels will be built based on designs created by Marine Design & Research Institute of China, and will meet Exxon's requirements on cost-effectiveness and environmental impact.

This contract is a confirmation of recent media reports linking Callimanopulos with a US$440m order of eight tankers at China Shipping Industry.