Greek dry bulk owner Almi Marine Management has reportedly ordered three 64,000-dwt ultramax bulkers at COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry’s Zhoushan shipyard in China, extending its fleet renewal programme.
The vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2030, according to Greek shipping sources. The order raises Almi’s known forward programme to five 64,000-dwt ultramax newbuildings across two COSCO-linked Chinese yards.
Context: Dry Bulk Intelligence File · Dry bulk shipping market explained · COSCO Shipping
The latest contract follows the company’s return to the newbuilding market in February, after a four-year absence. At that time, managing director Christos Hadjigeorgiou confirmed that Almi had contracted two next-generation 64,000-dwt ultramaxes at Nantong COSCO KHI Ship Engineering (NACKS), with deliveries planned for the second quarter of 2029.
With the Zhoushan order, Almi is pursuing a fleet modernisation strategy centred on ultramax tonnage. The Athens-based owner currently controls six bulk carriers and has also disposed of older supramax vessels as part of the renewal effort, including the 2008-built Anasa.
Almi already has experience with COSCO-linked yards. The owner took delivery of three ultramax vessels from DACKS in 2024, adding to its ties with the Chinese-Japanese NACKS and DACKS shipbuilding operations.
The financial terms of the three-vessel Zhoushan contract have not been disclosed. As a market reference, a standard Chinese-built ultramax was assessed at around $36m in August, implying a value of roughly $108m for three ships if contracted at similar levels. However, no confirmed price has been reported for Almi’s order.
The new contracts position the owner for a phased renewal of its dry bulk fleet, with deliveries stretching from 2029 to 2030.