ISTANBUL — Aruna Shipping, the maritime company founded by Turkish textile entrepreneur İsmail Bekmezci and his children, has ordered 10 new ultramax bulk carriers from Chinese shipbuilder Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding in a deal worth approximately $350 million.
Bekmezci, one of the partners of Turkish sock manufacturer Beks, established Aruna Shipping with his children in 2010 as he expanded into the maritime sector. The company currently operates a fleet of eight vessels.
Fleet to More Than Double
Under the agreement signed between Aruna Shipping and Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding, the company will acquire 10 ultramax-type vessels, each with a capacity of 64,500 deadweight tons (DWT).
Six of the vessels are firm orders, while four are subject to options. Each ship is priced at approximately $35 million, bringing the total potential value of the order to around $350 million, equivalent to approximately TRY 16.5 billion at current exchange rates.
The vessels are scheduled to begin being delivered in the first half of 2028. Once all 10 ships are delivered, Aruna Shipping’s fleet will increase from eight to 18 vessels, more than doubling its current size.
The ships will be built at Yangzhou Guoyu Shipbuilding’s facility in Zhoushan, China. The order from the Turkish company will represent the shipyard’s first major shipbuilding project.
Aruna Returns to Newbuild Orders
The latest deal marks the second time since its establishment that Aruna Shipping has opted to purchase newly built vessels rather than second-hand ships.
The company previously placed its first order in July 2011, when it contracted South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries for three 56,000-DWT bulk carriers.
Aruna later expanded its fleet by purchasing five second-hand Supramax vessels in 2022 and 2023, bringing its fleet to the current eight ships.
Major Expansion for Turkish Shipping Company
The $350 million transaction represents one of Aruna’s largest investments since its founding and one of the more significant recent newbuild orders by a Turkish shipping company.
With the new vessels, Aruna Shipping is set to significantly expand its presence in the dry bulk transportation market, while strengthening its fleet with modern, higher-capacity vessels.
The investment also highlights the growing appetite among Turkish shipowners for fleet expansion as companies seek to capitalize on long-term demand for maritime transportation and global trade.
Source: Patronlar Dünyası/ Prepared by: İlayda Gök