German chemical tanker owner John T. Essberger has exercised options for two more vessels at China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng， lifting the company’s newbuilding programme to eight ships.

The latest move converts the first option pair attached to the two-plus-two-plus-two deal signed in December 2025. The programme at the Chinese yard now stands at four firm 7，900 dwt duplex stainless steel chemical tankers， with options remaining for another two.

The ice-class vessels are designed for European coastal chemical trades， with the first delivery scheduled for the second half of 2028. The series is expected to be completed by September 2029. No price has been disclosed.

Splash reported in December that Essberger had initially booked two firm ships at Yangzhou Dingheng， adding to a separate programme at Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment.

The Hamburg-based owner now has four 7，900 dwt ships and four 13，800 dwt units on order， with deliveries running from mid-2027 through September 2029.

The larger series stems from a 2024 contract for two firm methanol-ready chemical tankers at Nantong Rainbow， followed by the exercise of options for another two ships in March 2025.

Essberger’s chemical tanker operations sit within E&S Tankers， the joint venture with Stolt Tankers. The platform operates more than 40 parcel tankers across the Baltic， North Sea and Mediterranean trades.