Four shipowners from Sweden, Norway and Canada have ordered four new VINGA product tankers for delivery in 2028 and 2029, expanding the Furetank-developed vessel series to 26 ships.

Two of the vessels will be owned by FureBear, a joint venture between Sweden's Furetank and Canada's Algoma Central Corporation, while Norway's O.H. Meling and Sweden's Älvtank will each take one.

The order marks O.H. Meling's first investment in the VINGA series, while Älvtank already owns three of the vessels.

The four 17,999-dwt product tankers will be built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China. They will enter the Gothia Tanker Alliance and be commercially managed by Furetank Chartering.

All four will be registered under the Swedish flag.

The ice-class 1A VINGA vessels were developed by Furetank together with FKAB Marine Design. They feature dual-fuel capability and can run on liquid biomethane (LBM), LNG or gasoil, while also being equipped for shore power and designed with a battery-hybrid solution.

“We are renewing our fleet, as our two current intermediate tankers soon will pass the 20-year age limit for trading in the European tanker market. The VINGA vessels have proven themselves in the market over many years — technically robust, efficient and consistently in demand. We have strong faith in good vessels, good management and a solid collaboration between our companies. The conditions for this investment could not be better," said Olav H. Meling, CEO of O.H. Meling.

For Älvtank, the new order follows its participation in the first VINGA order, whose vessels were delivered in 2018.

"The need for vessels of this size will remain for many years to come, even as volumes of petrol and diesel decline. We are already seeing an increasing share of other liquid cargoes such as lighter chemicals and biofuels. With twelve cargo tanks, we can load and discharge several smaller cargoes at different terminals with the same vessel. I believe demand for significantly larger vessels will decrease in Europe going forward," added Christian Nilsson, CEO of Älvtank.