(Yicai Global) Dec. 4 -- China Merchants Energy Shipping has ordered four new eco-friendly very large crude carrier tankers from a domestic shipmaker for USD332 million.

The Shanghai-based firm bought the vessels from Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Group and expects delivery between August 2021 and July 2022, the buyer said in a statement yesterday.  The new ships should use 5 percent less energy than its existing tankers built this year and last, it added.

The purchase will help optimize the firm's fleet and make the company more competitive, according to the statement. CMES already owns 53 VLCC vessels and five Aframax crude oil vessels, and has the world's biggest fleet of very large ore carriers.

VLCCs are oil tankers with a deadweight of over 300,000 tons, or the capacity to carry 2 million barrels. The ships CMES has ordered have a deadweight of 307,000 tons.

Editor: James Boynton