German chemical tanker owner John T. Essberger is pressing ahead with its fleet renewal programme， signing up to six newbuildings at a another Chinese shipyard.

The Hamburg-based group has placed firm orders for two 7，900 dwt duplex stainless steel chemical tankers， with two-plus-two options， at China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng.

The vessels will be built to Ice Class 1A and are designed for chemical parcel trades in Northern Europe. First delivery is scheduled for August 2028.

Essberger said the newbuildings are part of a long-term effort to replace older tonnage with more efficient and environmentally optimized ships， tailored to evolving regulatory and operational demands.

The order follows a busy period of contracting for the German owner. In late 2024， Essberger booked up to six 13，000-dwt Ice Class 1A chemical tankers at Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment， while in 2021 it placed orders for eight stainless steel parcel tankers at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.

Four larger 13，800 dwt chemical tankers are currently under construction at the Rainbow yard and are due to join the fleet ahead of the new 7，900 dwt units.

“We are committed to replacing our older ships with new， environmentally optimised tonnage，” said Eberhart von Rantzau， managing owner of John T. Essberger. “These vessels are specially designed for the demands of coastal chemical shipping in Europe and will further strengthen our fleet from 2028 onwards.”

Essberger’s chemical tanker fleet operates within the E&S Tankers joint venture alongside Stolt-Nielsen. The new ships will measure 119.9 m in length， with a beam of 18 m， maximum draught of 6.85 m， and a cargo tank volume of about 8，950 cum.