Great Eastern Shipping expands gas carrier fleet with VLGC acquisition
The Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited (GE Shipping) has entered into an agreement to acquire a secondhand Very Large Gas Carrier (VLGC), continuing the expansion of its diversified shipping fleet.
The vessel, built in 2015, has a capacity of approximately 82,000 cubic metres and is expected to join the company’s fleet during the third quarter of the Indian financial year 2026–27. GE Shipping confirmed that the acquisition will be financed entirely through internally generated funds.
The company has not disclosed the vessel’s name, the seller’s identity or the purchase price. The transaction has been contracted, with delivery expected at a later date.
Fleet expansion across multiple vessel segments
GE Shipping currently owns a fleet of 40 vessels, comprising 25 tankers and 15 dry bulk carriers, with an aggregate capacity of approximately 3.24 million deadweight tonnes.
Its tanker fleet includes five crude oil tankers, 16 product tankers and four LPG carriers. The dry bulk fleet consists of two Capesize, ten Kamsarmax, one Ultramax and two Supramax vessels.
According to the company, its current fleet capacity utilisation is close to 100%, reflecting high employment levels across its existing vessels.
The acquisition of the VLGC is intended to expand the company’s fleet and increase its presence in the gas carrier segment.
Additional vessel acquisitions underway
Beyond the VLGC agreement, GE Shipping has also contracted to purchase two secondhand Kamsarmax dry bulk carriers. Both transactions are expected to be completed during the third quarter of the 2026–27 financial year.
The company has also entered into a contract to acquire a newbuild Suezmax tanker, with delivery scheduled for the second half of the 2028–29 financial year.
These transactions reflect GE Shipping’s ongoing investment across gas shipping, dry bulk transportation and tanker operations.
The newly contracted VLGC will add to the company’s existing LPG carrier fleet once the acquisition is completed and the vessel is delivered.
