Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering Co. said Monday that it has signed a 200 billion won ($179 million) deal with a European shipping firm to build two very large crude-oil carriers (VLCCs).

The 300,000-ton vessels to be built by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., a unit of Korea Shipbuilding, will be delivered from June 2022, the company said in an e-mailed statement.

So far this year, Korea Shipbuilding has won orders to build 11 VLCCs, accounting for 55 percent of the global VLCC market, the shipbuilding holding company said.

The company also said it will bring its energies to bear on getting more orders till the end of the year, citing increased inquiries about various ships, including oil tankers, from shippers. (Yonhap)