Singapore-based owner Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) is expanding its renewed push into the VLCC segment with two more newbuildings lined up at Hengli Shipbuilding.

The vessels form part of a five-ship order for 306，000 dwt VLCCs announced by the Dalian yard last week， with deliveries scheduled across 2029 and 2030. Two of the ships are linked to Idan Ofer’s EPS， taking the company’s VLCC series at the yard to ten units.

EPS re-entered the VLCC market in 2025 after a seven-year break， ordering six 306，000 dwt vessels at Hengli. Those contracts marked the owner’s first VLCC newbuildings since the 2000-built Maritime Jewel was scrapped in 2018.

The move is part of a broader strategy to rebuild the company’s crude tanker exposure after several years focused mainly on aframax and suezmax tonnage， followed more recently by a steady expansion in MR product tankers.

Eastern Pacific has become one of Hengli’s most active customers， with orders at the yard covering crude and product tankers as well as containerships and capesize bulkers.