Greek dry bulk owner DryDel Shipping has bolstered its Japanese newbuilding programme with orders for three additional vessels.

Announcing the order ahead of next week’s Posidonia exhibition in Athens, Costas Delaportas-led company said the latest contracts include one 82,000 dwt kamsarmax at Shin Kurushima Dockyard for delivery in 2028, alongside two 64,000 dwt ultramaxes ordered at Nihon Shipyard and Oshima Shipyard for delivery in 2029 and 2030 respectively.

The company said all three vessels will be built to Tier III and Phase 3 environmental standards and will feature next-generation “super eco” designs aimed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

The move further strengthens DryDel’s long-running focus on Japanese-built tonnage.

Since 2021, the Athens-based owner has placed more than 20 bulker newbuilding orders exclusively at Japanese yards across vessel sizes ranging from handysize to capesize.

The company has also taken delivery of 10 Japanese-built vessels over the past two years.

DryDel’s most recent ordering activity came late last year when the owner booked a pair of capesize bulkers at Namura Shipbuilding, while on the sale side, several handies and ultramaxes changed hands in 2025 and earlier this year.

Following the latest deals, the company’s forward orderbook now stands at 11 vessels with a combined carrying capacity of more than 1.2m dwt.

Chief executive Delaportas said the company remained committed to Japanese shipbuilding as part of a long-term fleet strategy rather than a short-term expansion drive.

“At DryDel Shipping, we continue to invest exclusively in Japanese shipbuilding, with a long-term perspective and strong confidence in the quality and excellence that Japanese yards consistently deliver,” Delaportas said.

“For us, this is not simply an investment strategy, but a long-standing partnership built on mutual trust and shared values developed over many years.”

He added that the company’s focus remained on building a modern and commercially competitive fleet rather than pursuing scale alone.

“Our objective is not growth for the sake of growth, but the development of a modern, efficient and commercially competitive fleet that creates lasting value for our charterers and partners worldwide,” he said.