EVALEND Shipping has signed contracts with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering for two suezmax tankers, extending a small flurry of suezmax ordering by Greece-based owners.

The 157,000 dwt tankers are scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2027 and will cost about $85m each, a source with knowledge of the deal said.

Both tankers will be constructed by the HD Hyundai Samho yard to run on conventional fuel and will be fitted with exhaust gas cleaning systems.

KSOE announced such a deal on Wednesday but put a slightly higher value on the ships and did not identify the shipowner behind the orders.

The move brings Evalend’s newbuilding orderbook to about 30 vessels of various types.

The diversified owner has invested in a wide range of tonnage, from very large crude carriers and large versatile gas carriers to liquefied natural gas carriers and LNG bunkering units.

Meanwhile, the Kriton Lendoudis-led company is not the only Greek player to puts its money on suezmax tankers of late.

Some 10 days ago, George Prokopiou-led Dynacom Tankers contracted two suezmaxes from preferred tanker builder New Times Shipbuilding in China.

No price has been given for the order but industry sources say they generally expected a differential of about $5m between South Korean and Chinese yard quotes for suezmaxes.

The new pair extends a huge Dynacom orderbook that now runs close to 50 tankers.

Centrofin Management, led by brother Dimitris Prokopiou, last month was reported to have placed orders for four suezmaxes with Samsung Heavy Industries.

While details of the order could not immediately be confirmed, Samsung has said it plans to deliver the tankers by the end of 2028.