Greek owners have helped drive an upturn in tanker scrapping this year with more tankers sent to the breakers during 2017 to date than during the whole of 2016, Alibra Shipping says.

The brokerage counts 49 tankers scrapped so far this year following John Angelicoussis’ sale of the 286,000-dwt Maran Lyra (built 1995) reported by TradeWinds yesterday.

This compares with the 41 tankers demolished during 2016, Alibra said in its weekly report today.