By Paris Tsirigotis

Greek shipowners have proceeded with new shipbuilding programs in the first two months of 2026, close to the levels of 2007, when they placed 560 new orders.

More specifically, Greek shipowners concluded shipbuilding agreements accounting for approximately 30% of new orders worldwide in the January-February 2026 period.

According to data collected by Intermodal’s analysis director, Yiannis Parganas, on behalf of Naftemporiki, companies of Greek interests have placed 111 new orders for ships in the first two months of the year, with investments exceeding 11.7 billion US dollars.

As he pointed out to Naftemporiki, in February 2026, a total of 64 new orders were recorded from Greek shipping companies, with tankers dominating once again. Specifically, 21 VLCCs, 13 Suezmaxes, 2 LR2s and 12 MR2s were ordered, while 8 bulk carriers, 6 containerships and 2 LNG ships were additionally recorded.

Together with the 47 orders in January, the total for the first two months of 2026 amounted to 111 ships, with investments exceeding 11.7 billion US dollars. These orders account for approximately 30% of global activity, confirming the leading role of Greek shipping.

“The geopolitical turmoil, the aging global fleet and the increasing number of ships under sanctions that absorb available capacity are strengthening the prospects of the tanker market, prompting Greek shipowners to invest aggressively amid exceptionally strong freight markets,” he underlined.