Stena Bulk, together with partners and the Angolan oil company Sonanagol, has placed new orders for tankers.

Stena recently confirmed an order at Samsung Shipyard for two in-house designed Suezmax tankers for delivery in 2011.

Of the new orders, the first two vessels, to be named ‘Stena Superior’ and ‘Stena Suède’, have been designed with the help of Stena’s own design department in accordance with the most advanced technology available today. The result is dramatically improved energy efficiency, which will, among other things, reduce fuel and bunker consumption by up to 15 percent compared with most efficient, conventionally designed Suezmax tankers currently in operation.

Stena Bulk and Samsung have confirmed that options on a further four vessels in the series have been signed, which means that the newbuilding order with Samsung has been increased to a total of six tankers with delivery of the units now added set for the end of 2012.

“Stena Bulk have been patient in viewing the markets these past couple of years, which has proven to be correct. And we have taken the time to integrate our proven track record for innovative tanker design by creating the most environmentally friendly large tanker of its size, with minimal fuel consumption, available today”, said

“The order for these six vessels will all be excellent additions to the Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool,” Ulf G. Ryder, President & CEO of Stena Bulk said.

This news follows on Sonangol’s announcement of the company’s order for five new 160,000DWT tankers from Daewoo in South Korea. These tankers are expected to be delivered from mid-2011 to the beginning of 2013.

Sonangol has also confirmed that the five new tankers will immediately enter the pool on delivery.

This means that the Stena Bulk and Sonangol partnership will bring up to twelve high quality ultramodern Suezmax tankers to their pool.

Stena’s close collaboration with Sonangol, the national shipping company of the West African oil producing nation Angola, is entering its sixth year of successful operation with the aim of building up a total fleet of 25 new and ultramodern Suezmax tankers with an average age of only three years.