DryDel Shipping has signed for two more 82,000 dwt kamsarmaxes at Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, extending a Japanese newbuilding programme that now counts more than 25 vessels ordered since 2021.

The Costas Delaportas-led Greek owner did not disclose the price or delivery dates for the pair. Both ships will meet NOx Tier III and EEDI Phase 3 standards and carry energy-saving technology, placing them firmly in the category of premium, future-proofed tonnage that charterers increasingly demand.

The order reinforces DryDel's concentrated bet on the 82,000 dwt segment. In May, the Athens-based company booked another kamsarmax of identical size at Shin Kurushima for delivery in 2028. That deal formed part of a three-ship order that also included 64,000 dwt ultramaxes contracted at Nihon Shipyard and Oshima Shipbuilding.

Delaportas said DryDel sees growing long-term demand for modern Japanese-built kamsarmaxes at a time when quality newbuilding capacity for the size remains limited.

That supply constraint sits at the heart of the commercial logic. Japanese yards hold lengthy orderbooks and command higher prices than their Korean and Chinese competitors, but they deliver fuel efficiency and reliability that translate directly into lower breakeven rates and stronger charter appeal for owners. For DryDel, locking in slots at Tsuneishi, Shin Kurushima, Nihon and Oshima secures delivery positions through 2029 in a segment where slots are scarce.

Fleet build-out accelerates

DryDel's current programme will add 13 new vessels to the fleet through 2029. The company has been one of the more active Greek buyers of Japanese tonnage in recent years, spreading its newbuilding investments across the dry bulk spectrum from handysizes through to capesizes.

For charterers, the steady influx of eco-design tonnage from owners like DryDel points to a gradually modernising kamsarmax fleet. Ships built to EEDI Phase 3 standards burn measurably less fuel than older equivalents, which matters directly for cargo economics on long-haul routes where bunker costs dominate voyage expenses.

For competing owners, the order signals continued confidence in the mid-size dry bulk segment despite a newbuilding cycle that has pushed prices and delivery windows to challenging levels. Japanese yards in particular have limited flexibility, meaning every slot secured by one owner is one denied to another.

The absence of disclosed pricing keeps the deal's economics opaque, but industry benchmarks for 82,000 dwt eco-kamsarmaxes at Japanese yards have run well above equivalent Chinese-built tonnage in the current cycle. Delivery dates for the Tsuneishi pair, whenever they fall, will add to a delivery pipeline that already stretches to 2029 across DryDel's programme.

With quality slots at Japanese yards remaining tight and owners continuing to prioritise fuel-efficient designs to meet tightening emissions rules, the pace of eco-kamsarmax ordering shows little sign of slowing.