George Melissanidis, Chairman of Aegean Shipping, signed the final contract on 30 September and officially placed the order for the new buildings during a remote ceremony held in the offices of Aegean Shipping Management and COSCO, respectively.

The newly ordered Aframax vessels will be the ninth and tenth consecutive orders put by Aegean with the COSCO Group over the last four years.

During construction, the vessels will be classified and supervised by Bureau Veritas (BV) and designed according to the current environmental Tier III specifications, certified with the highest eco-friendly class scores, the Piraeus-based shipping company explained.

It is expected to deliver both tankers during the fourth quarter of 2022.

As of this October, the fleet of Aegean Shipping consists of new vessels, in line with the 'Green Fleet' policy of the business.

The latest order "heralds a new era of growth" for the organization that is dedicated to providing its charterers with environmentally friendly services, Aegean added.

Maritime Business World