Newbuilding orders in the tanker market, particularly for larger tonnage, has been a notable trend of 2026 so far. In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Gibson said that “the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked since late February but despite an unprecedented energy crisis, tanker ordering activity for large carriers has intensified notably this year, especially for VLCCs, the segment that is arguably the most exposed to the extended Hormuz closure. Over 120 VLCCs have been ordered this year, with this number already exceeding the highest annual VLCC order total on record. This adds to already strong investment over the previous two years, taking the VLCC orderbook from around 5% of the existing fleet in early 2024 to 35% today. This ratio is significantly higher when only mainstream vessels are considered, given that one-fifth of the VLCC fleet is already…