Veritas Tankers Orders Up to Six Stainless-Steel Chemical Tankers in China
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Chinese shipyard Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment has signed a contract to build up to six 13,000 dwt stainless-steel chemical tankers for an unnamed European shipowner. Shipbroking sources pointed to Swedish owner Rederi AB Veritas Tankers as the buyer, although neither the company nor the shipyard has publicly confirmed its identity.
Contract Value and Timeline
Jiangsu Rainbow Heavy Industries, the Shenzhen-listed parent company that controls the shipyard, disclosed the deal in a stock exchange filing dated October 28. Splash 247 put the value of the six-ship package, including options, at between $225 million and $248 million, while Ports News Russia cited a range of $225.2 million to $247.7 million, and Xinde Marine News reported between $223 million and $246 million — all based on reference conversions of between 1.5 billion and 1.65 billion yuan. The shipyard did not specify how many vessels are firm orders and how many remain optional, and deliveries would not begin until 28 months after the contract takes effect, subject to conditions such as the buyer's first payment.
Vessel Specifications
The vessels will have a length overall of 132 metres and a beam of 21.8 metres, with 12 independent duplex stainless-steel cargo tanks. They are designed for the carriage of parcel chemical cargoes in restricted waters and under Northern European operating conditions, with the capacity to transport several chemical categories on a single voyage.
Veritas Tankers Profile
Rederi AB Veritas Tankers is a family-owned company based in Donsö, near Gothenburg, whose current operations date back to 1983. Since 2022 it has been wholly controlled by Ove Johnsson, its managing director, and operates a fleet of five chemical tankers. These include Astana and Astella, built in China in 2022 and added to the fleet in July 2025 after being acquired from Tarbit Tankers B.V., where they sailed under the names Bit Wind and Bit Wave.
Precedent with Another European Owner
Nantong Rainbow shipyard had already ventured into this segment with a previous order from German owner John T. Essberger, which began with two firm 13,000 dwt vessels and four options agreed in 2024, with deliveries scheduled from 2027 as part of the company's fleet renewal programme. According to Xinde Marine News, that programme added two further options in early 2025 and is already in construction, with the steel cutting for the third vessel recorded on October 20, 2026.
