Italian shipowner d'Amico has through its Ireland-based subsidiary d'Amico Tankers Limited placed an order for construction of two new Long Range (LR1 – 75,000dwt) product tankers with Korean Hyundai Mipo Dockyard Co. Ltd.

The ships have been ordered under an option stipulated in the recent contract that saw d'Amico order two similar LR1s on April 27, 2015.

The vessels will be built by Vietnam-based Hyundai Vinashin Shipyard Co. Ltd and are expected to be delivered in the second half of 2017 and the first quarter of 2018 respectively, for a total consideration of about US$44m each.

The said two double‐hull newbuildings are the latest ECO design vessels featuring attained Energy Design Index (EEDI), falling already well within the IMO phase-in 2 requirements due for vessels to be built before Dec. 31, 2024, being of 25% lower than the current IMO reference line.

DIS fleet includes 52.8 double-hull product tankers (MR and Handysize) with an average age of about 7.5 years.

Currently, d'Amico Tankers Limited has a total of 12 new 'Eco design' product tanker shipbuilding contracts, which include 4 LR1, 4 MR and 4 Handysize vessels, all under construction at Hyundai Vinashin and expected to be delivered between 2015 and the first quarter of 2018.