By George Georgiou

 

 

Investments of Greek shipping companies in new ships are about to hit a new record high in 2023, having already exceeded the levels of at least the last three years.

 

According to data collected by “Naftemporiki” from shipping brokerage sources, in the period from January to the end of July, the Greeks ordered 137 ships, a larger number compared to the shipbuilding contracts they signed in the years 2022, 2021 and 2020.

 

Of these, 70 are tankers, 50 bulk carriers, seven LNG carriers, four containerships, four LPG carriers and two liquefied CO2 carriers.

 

In the first quarter of the year, the Greeks mainly turned to tankers, but in the last quarter the trend has been reversed, with massive orders for dry bulk carriers.

 

Yiannis Parganas, head of the research department of the shipping brokerage firm Intermodal said to “Naftemporiki” that from May until today, the Greeks have ordered 60 ships, of which 37 are bulk carriers and 23 tankers. Internationally, agreements have been signed for 100 trucks and 73 tankers over the last quarter. In other words, the Greek contracts correspond to 37% of the orders placed during this period worldwide in bulk carriers and 31.5% in tankers.