Greek shipowner Samos Steamship has placed an order for two Capesize bulk carriers with Nihon Shipyard (NSY), a joint sales and design venture between Imabari Shipbuilding and Japan Marine United Corporation (JMU).
Samos announced the newbuild orders on its website, marking the first time in approximately two and a half years that the company has ordered Capesize vessels. While the specific shipyard for the construction is yet to be confirmed, the vessels are expected to be built at a JMU facility. The market for Capesize bulkers has seen a slowdown in orders due to rising ship prices and uncertainties around new fuel regulations. Capesize bulkers have had particularly low order book ratios among existing fleets. However, despite this trend, some Greek shipowners have resumed new-build orders, leading to an increase in contracts for Japanese shipyards.
The two Capesize bulk carriers ordered by Samos will be Dunkirkmax vessels with a deadweight of 180,000 tons each. Both ships are scheduled for delivery between July and September 2026.
In November 2021, Samos ordered two Dunkirkmax bulk carriers, each with a deadweight of 181,000 tons, from NSY. These vessels were slated for delivery between July-September 2023 and January-March 2024 and were constructed at JMU’s Ariake Works in Nagasu-machi, Kumamoto Prefecture.
Additionally, in April 2021, Samos placed an order with NSY for a 301,000-ton Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) with a scheduled delivery between January and March 2023. This VLCC was also built at JMU’s Ariake Works.
Beyond the current two Capesize bulk carriers, Samos has an outstanding order book with NSY that includes one VLCC, two Aframax tankers from Sumitomo Heavy Industries, and one Kamsarmax bulker each from the Shin Kurushima Dockyard Group and Oshima Shipbuilding, totaling seven vessels.
Samos, a venerable Greek shipowner founded by the Inglessis family in 1875, has constructed the majority of its tanker and bulker fleet at Japanese shipyards. The company manages a mixed fleet of tankers and bulk carriers with a total capacity of 3 million tons and an average vessel age of six years. With over 140 years of experience, Samos Steamship is known for providing reliable maritime transport, backed by its expertise, flexibility, and innovative approach.
The market for Capesize vessels is seeing increased interest in Japanese shipyards from foreign shipowners, as Chinese yards are heavily occupied with domestic orders.
Samos has publicly disclosed the following newbuild orders on its website:
① VLCC（300000、JMU / Japan、Q1, 2025）
② Kamsarmax（ 82000、Sanoyas / Japan、Q1, 2025）
③ Aframax（115000、Sumitomo / Japan、Q2, 2025）
④ Kamsarmax（82000、Oshima / Japan、Q4, 2025）
⑤ Aframax（115000、Sumitomo / Japan、Q1, 2026）
⑥ Capesize（180000、JMU / Japan、Q3, 2026）
⑦ Capesize（180000、JMU / Japan、Q3, 2026）
〆ギリシャ船主サモス・スチームシップ（Samos Steamship）は日本シップヤード（Nihon Shipyard、NSY）にケープサイズバルカー2隻を発注した。
ギリシャ船主サモス・スチームシップ（Samos Steamship）が今治造船（IMABARI SHIPBUILDING）とジャパンマリンユナイテッド（Japan Marine United Corporation、JMU）の営業・設計合弁会社、日本シップヤード（NSY）にケープサイズバルカー2隻を発注したことが明らかになった。
サモスが同社のウェブサイトでケープサイズ2隻の新造整備を公表した。サモスがケープサイズを発注するのは竣工ベースで約2年半ぶりになる。建造工場は不明だが、JMUで建造する。ケープサイズはここ数年の船価高騰と新燃料対応の見極めが難しい状況で船主の発注が停滞してきた。ケープサイズはバルカーの中でも既存船隊に占める発注残の比率が特に低い。こうした中、一部のギリシャ船主は新造整備に動き出しており、日本造船所の受注が増加している。
サモスが発注を決めたケープサイズ2隻は18万重量トン型ダンケルクマックスである。２隻とも竣工は2026年7―9月を予定する。