Germany’s Leonhardt & Blumberg is pressing ahead with its expansion in the MR tanker segment, placing follow-on orders at China’s Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI).
The Hamburg-based owner has contracted the CSSC subsidiary for two additional 49,500 dwt chemical/product carriers, bringing its total orderbook at the yard to six.
The latest deal follows a September 2024 contract between the two parties, firming up four vessels of the same size. That marked Leonhardt & Blumberg’s first step into MR newbuildings at GSI, building on a long-standing relationship with CSSC yards in the containership segment.
Best known as a handysize containership tonnage provider with a fleet of more than 20 ships, Leonhardt & Blumberg entered the product tanker market in 2022. It currently operates five tankers built between 2007 and 2008.
The newbuilding series, which will be scrubber-fitted and methanol-ready, has been developed in-house by GSI. The vessels measure about 183 m in length with a 32.2 m beam and are designed for a service speed of around 14.5 knots.
Leonhardt & Blumberg has already lined up commercial employment for the ships. The company recently entered into a partnership with Navig8 Group, which will commercially manage all six IMO2 MR ships through a mix of time-charter coverage and pooling. Once delivered, the vessels will join Navig8’s Gamma8 MR pool.
For GSI, the follow-on order adds to a busy start to the year. The yard has secured 16 tanker orders since the beginning of 2026, including a headline deal for 10 MR product tankers from Greece’s Central Group valued at close to $500m.
