France’s Sogestran Group is upgrading its bunker tanker fleet with an order for two new vessels at China Merchants Industry Yangzhou Dingheng Shipyard.

The deal, which extends a long-standing partnership between its subsidiary Maritima with Petroineos in southern France, covers 4,500 cu m newbuilds set to replace the 3,430 cu m 2008-built Florence B and Tatiana B and the 2009-built Cap Pinede.

The new units will serve Petroineos’ bunkering operations in Fos, Marseille, and Toulon, where the companies have worked together for more than three decades.

The tankers, designed for the simultaneous transport of three different products and tailored to fit the Petroineos refinery jetties at Lavera, will be able to supply biofuels and e-methanol, alongside conventional bunkers.

Sogestran said the Dingheng yard was chosen after nearly two years of evaluation and audits. Steel cutting for the first unit is scheduled for November 2026, with launch in 2027 and delivery expected in early 2028.