South Korea’s Kukje Maritime Investment (Kmarin) has returned to the newbuilding market with an order for two newcastlemax bulk carriers, ending a seven-year absence from the shipyard orderbooks.
The Seoul-based owner has contracted Jiangsu New Hantong Ship Heavy Industry to build the 210,000 dwt vessels. No price or delivery schedule has been confirmed.
The deal marks a shift for Kmarin, which has been quiet on new tonnage since 2018, focusing instead on the secondhand S&P market and managing a sizeable fleet of more than 70 vessels in dry bulk, gas, and tanker segments.
The order also adds to Jiangsu New Hantong’s growing activity in the bulker segment, including two 82,000 dwt kamsarmaxes for Egypt’s National Navigation Company, scheduled for delivery in late 2028.
The yard reported reaching several key milestones in July, including the delivery of two vessels and progress on the construction of 11 others. Other recent newbuilding deals included three additional megamax containerships for liner giant MSC and two VLCCs for commodities trader Trafigura.
