Greek firm Tsakos Energy Navigation has announced the delivery of the 105,000 deadweight tonnage, DNA design Aframax oil tanker from Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan. The so-called Sakura Princess is the second of a series of eight sister vessels.
Tsakos Energy Navigation (TEN) said that concurrent with the delivery, Sakura Princess has entered a two-year time charter with a major oil trader for a minimum rate, and a 50/50 profit share should rates exceed that minimum.
The remaining six vessels are scheduled for delivery in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Additionally, TEN will take delivery of another three units, two Panamaxes and a handysize product tanker, in 2007.
Nikolas Tsakos, president and CEO of TEN, said: The Sakura Princess, together with its sister vessel the Izumo Princess, are the first DNA designed vessels in our fleet and offer charterers the flexibility to trade them in certain ports of the US, South America and the Caribbean that are not accessible to conventional Aframaxes.
We believe this extra dimension, along with the quality of our vessels, will position our fleet at the forefront of charterers’ interest for the foreseeable future, Mr Tsakos concluded.