German chemical tanker owner John T. Essberger has exercised its first option for two additional 7,900-dwt newbuildings at China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng, increasing the firm series to four vessels and its total chemical tanker orderbook to eight ships, according to John T. Essberger.
The two ships form part of a two-plus-two-plus-two contract agreed in December 2025. Essberger retains options for another two vessels at the Chinese yard.
The duplex stainless steel tankers will be built to Ice Class 1A for European coastal chemical trades. Each vessel will have an overall length of 119.9 metres, a beam of 18 metres, a maximum draught of 6.85 metres and cargo capacity of 8,950 cubic metres.
The first ship in the series is scheduled for delivery in August 2028. Essberger’s wider eight-vessel newbuilding programme comprises four 7,900-dwt tankers and four 13,800-dwt ships, with deliveries planned between mid-2027 and September 2029.
The four larger vessels are under construction at Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment in China. No contract price has been disclosed.
John T. Essberger is a privately owned German shipping company founded in Hamburg in 1924, with activities in chemical tankers, dry cargo shipping and ship management. E&S Tankers is a chemical tanker joint venture established by John T. Essberger and Stolt Tankers in 2021. It operates 46 stainless steel parcel tankers ranging from 2,800 dwt to 11,300 dwt in the Baltic, Mediterranean and Northwest European markets.
Stolt Tankers is a shipping company specialising in the transportation of bulk liquid chemicals and other liquid products.
China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng is a Chinese shipbuilding company focused on specialised vessels, including chemical tankers.
Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment is a Chinese shipbuilder and offshore engineering company.