Tsakos readies nine shuttle tankers at Samsung Heavy

Greek owner Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN) has lined up a deal for shuttle tanker newbuildings in South Korea.

Brokers in Greece have linked the New York-listed company and Samsung Heavy Industries to a nine-ship contract under the tender launched last year by Petrobras’ logistics subsidiary Transpetro.

The dynamic positioning vessels come with a price tag of about $147m each, with deliveries set for 2027 and 2028.

TEN already has ships working for Petrobras. Three other shuttle tankers are currently under construction at Samsung for delivery in 2025 and 2026; however, they are not linked to the Brazilian state-owned giant.

Last year, Maran Tankers, a unit of Greece’s Angelicoussis Shipping Group, ordered a trio of shuttle tankers at DH Shipbuilding in South Korea, delivering in 2027 into a long-term charter with Petrobras.

Transpetro also has its own fleet renewal and expansion program that foresees the construction of 25 vessels. Four handysize product tankers were booked for construction earlier this year, followed by a tender that will see eight gas carrier newbuilds contracted.