Alex Saverys outlines plans for 120 low-carbon ships
The new-look Euronav is drawing up plans for 120 low-carbon ship orders. At a capital markets day on Friday, Alexander Saverys, recently installed as CEO of the tanker giant following a protracted takeover battle, outlined how he sees the Euronav fleet transitioning in the coming years, bolstered by the acquisition of clean tech firm, CMB.TECH.
The 120 newbuilds would be a mix of tankers, dry bulk carriers and containerships, Saverys said.
The Saverys family-controlled Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB) officially took control of Euronav in November with John Fredriksen selling his stake in the tanker giant in return for 24 Euronav VLCCs.
CMB wants to diversify the fleet of Euronav into different shipping segments to decrease the dependence on the transportation of crude oil. This does not mean exiting the tanker business altogether, CMB has stressed, but a gradual decrease of the share of revenues coming from pure crude oil transportation by adding different future-proof shipping asset types to the Euronav portfolio, potentially from the CMB and CMB.TECH fleet. Future-proof in CMB’s view means efficient low-carbon emitting ships and/or ships powered by hydrogen or ammonia.
