Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation (CSET) is set to follow the seven-ship newbuilding series it announced this week with at least eight further tankers at two more state-owned Chinese shipyards.

The full order will boost the Cosco tanker fleet in all ship types from aframax upwards.

The series of orders appears to be the culmination of a plan that TradeWinds reported in May for a billion-dollar newbuilding spree.