Euronav orders two eco-friendly bitumen tankers

Euronav NV has announced the successful order of two dual-fuel bitumen tankers. The vessels are contracted from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Yangzhou) Dingheng Co., with delivery anticipated in the last quarter of 2026, according to the company's release.

Each vessel will feature advanced dual-fuel engines capable of operating on green methanol, with future potential for ammonia adaptation.

With a deadweight of 17,000 tons each, these tankers are innovatively designed to surpass the efficiency and sustainability standards of the present 230-bitumen tanker fleet, characterized by an average age of 15 years and an 8,000-ton deadweight.

With the inclusion of these two new bitumen tankers, Euronav’s total contract backlog escalates to $1,975 million USD. This financial outlook is complemented by the additional time charter contracts with Valero, unveiled in December 2023, which cumulatively secures 55 years of time charter cover.

Euronav and CMB.TECH together represent a group with around 150 ocean-going vessels (including newbuildings) in dry bulk, container shipping, chemical tankers, offshore wind and oil tankers. The group focuses on large marine and industrial applications on hydrogen or ammonia. They also offer hydrogen and ammonia fuel to customers, through own production or third-party producers. The company is headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium, and has offices across Europe and Asia. Euronav plans to change the group's name to CMB.TECH. Euronav will remain the oil tanker shipping company within the group.