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Erik Thun AB-owned Thun Tankers - part of the Gothia Tanker Alliance - has contracted four 17,500-deadweight (dwt), IMO II product/chemical tankers to be built at the Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding yard in Jiangsu, China.

Furetank Chartering, responsible for the intermediate size segment in the Gothia Tanker Alliance, is to commercially manage the vessels, which are expected to be delivered between April 2019 and January 2020.

In a statement, Gothia Tanker Alliance said the focus on energy efficiency, sustainability and new regulations were "key" factors during the development process.

"Thun Tankers' new vessels will further improve the Gothia Tanker Alliance customer offering as well as our position as a provider of safe and efficient refined products transportation," commented Lars Hoglund, managing director at Furetank.

As Bunker Index reported in October, Thun Tankers has contracted four LNG-fuelled, 7,999-dwt coastal tankers at Sheepswerf Ferus Smit in the Netherlands, with delivery due in 2018-2021.

Erik Thun is also the owner of the world's first LNG-powered dry cargo ships, the MV Ireland and MV Greenland.

Earlier this month, the MV Ireland was the first vessel to be bunkered with LNG at the port of Bilbao, Spain.