Italian product tanker owner d’Amico International Shipping (DIS) has moved to renew its fleet with a fresh newbuilding deal in China， ordering two MR1 units at Guangzhou Shipyard International (GSI).

The company said its operating arm， d’Amico Tankers has signed contracts for a pair of 40，000 dwt vessels at a price of $43.2m each. The ships are scheduled for delivery in April and July 2029. DIS also holds options， exercisable within three months， for up to two additional vessels of the same design.

The newbuilds will join a fleet that currently counts 29 double-hulled product tankers， spanning the MR， handysize and LR1 segments. Of these， 27 are owned and two are on bareboat charter， with the owned and chartered-in fleet averaging about 9.5 years.

Chief executive Carlos di Mottola said the GSI vessels will be the most efficient MR1s in the company’s fleet. He noted that， at design draft， the ships are expected to consume around 4 tonnes per day less fuel than existing eco MR1s， while carrying about 4，000 cu m more cargo.

The vessels will be methanol-ready， certified to burn biofuels， fitted for shore power， and designed with enhanced cyber resilience， he added.

The roughly $86.4m investment follows the sale of DIS’s four oldest vessels over the past two years and forms part of a longer-term fleet renewal plan. Di Mottola pointed to a thin MR1 orderbook， an ageing global fleet， and steady charterer interest as factors supporting the move. The Milan-and OTCQX-listed company also has four LR1 newbuildings booked at Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding in 2024， and due for delivery in 2027.