_{Photo credit: European Maritime Finance (EMF)}

Leon Patitsas, the shipowner whose name is among the 50 most powerful Greek shipowners in Forbes list 2024, and European Maritime Finance (EMF) have confirmed the sale of two suezmax tanker newbuildings to tanker company Okeanis Eco Tankers at a “record-breaking” price of $99.3m each.

The companies Atlas Maritime Ltd. led by Patitsas and the Danish-headquartered investment management firm EMF named the ships as the Arctic Star and Tromsø Star, each have a deadweight capacity of 157,000 tons.

The vessels are currently under construction at Daehan Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in South Korea.

The EMF managed sub-fund Blue Harmony I under EMF AIF-SIKAV is a part owner of the vessels, EMF said.  

The acquisition agreements provide for an individual purchase price of $99.3m per vessel.

The vessels are scheduled for delivery from the shipyard in May and July 2026 and the sale is expected to be completed before full delivery, subject to the satisfaction of agreed closing conditions.

The vessels are two in a series of eight suezmax vessels in EMF’s managed investment vehicles. All vessels are contracted from Daehan Shipbuilding Co. in South Korea.