Chinese shipowners are in discussions with Rongsheng Petrochemical to build MR2 chemical tankers for significant volumes of para­xylene from a new oil refinery.

Textiles and plastics producer Rongsheng is the largest partner in the $24bn Zhejiang Petrochemical joint venture refinery under construction on Zhejiang province’s Zhoushan Island, south-east of Shanghai. The company is unrelated to former shipyard Rongsheng Heavy Industries.