6 Chemical Tankers Ordered in New Venture by NYK & Stolt

NYK Stolt Tankers, a collaboration between the Japanese company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and the chemical tanker leader Stolt-Nielsen, has placed an order for six stainless steel vessels with a capacity of 38,000 deadweight tons (dwt) at Nantong Xiangyu Shipyard in China.

These vessels, to be delivered between late 2026 and 2029, are part of Stolt Tankers, a division based in the Netherlands under the Oslo-listed Stolt-Nielsen, and the Tokyo-headquartered NYK.

The new chemical tankers are intended to replace retiring vessels starting in 2026 and are similar to the six ships previously ordered by Stolt Tankers at Wuhu Shipyard last year. They will be equipped with 30 cargo tanks, various energy-saving features, shore power connectivity, and are adaptable for potential retrofitting for battery or methanol propulsion.

Udo Lange, chief executive at Stolt-Nielsen says: “This order reflects our strategy to maintain the scale of our core 38,000 dwt tonne fleet by adding newbuildings not otherwise available in the secondhand market in a capital efficient way.”