Swan Defence and Heavy Industries (SDHI) has signed a landmark deal with Norway’s Rederiet Stenersen for the construction of six 18,000 dwt chemical tankers, valued at approximately $220 million. The agreement also includes an option for six additional vessels of the same class.
The IMO Type II tankers will be built at SDHI’s Pipavav shipyard in Gujarat, India’s largest shipyard by dry dock capacity. The facility, recently revived under new ownership after emerging from bankruptcy, restarted operations last year, and this represents SDHI’s first major shipbuilding order since the revival.
Each Ice Class 1A ship will feature a hybrid propulsion system with advanced automation, enabling improved manoeuvrability, lower emissions, and operational flexibility. The design also allows for conversion to methanol or LNG fuel and an upgrade of battery capacity up to 5,000 kWh.
“This partnership marks a defining moment for SDHI and Indian shipbuilding,” said SDHI director Vivek Merchant. “Exporting advanced chemical tankers to Norway for the first time shows global confidence in India’s shipbuilding capabilities.”
Rederiet Stenersen, founded in 1974, operates a fleet of roughly 20 chemical and product tankers between 13,000 and 19,000 dwt, primarily trading in Northern Europe.
