UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

--12-31 

FORM 20-F

OR

FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2021

OR

OR

Date of event requiring this shell company report

For the transition period from             to

Commission file number 001-31236

TSAKOS ENERGY NAVIGATION LIMITED

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Not Applicable

(Translation of Registrant’s name into English)

Bermuda

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

367 Syngrou Avenue

175 64 P. Faliro

Athens, Greece

011-30210-9407710

(Address of principal executive offices)

Paul Durham

367 Syngrou Avenue

175 64 P. Faliro

Athens, Greece

Telephone: 011-30210-9407710

E-mail: ten@tenn.gr

Facsimile: 011-30210-9407716

(Name, Address, Telephone Number, E-mail and Facsimile Number of Company Contact Person)

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None  

Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act: None 

As of December 31, 2021, there were 24,565,940 of the registrant’s Common Shares, 3,516,896 Series D Preferred Shares, 4,743,708 Series E Preferred Shares, 6,741,259 Series F Preferred Shares and 459,286 Series G Redeemable Convertible Preferred Shares outstanding.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Note—Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer  ☐    Accelerated Filer ☒    Non-accelerated filer  ☐    Emerging growth company  ☐

If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐ 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report☒ Yes   ☐ No

Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:

 If “Other” has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow.    Item 17  ☐    Item 18  ☐

If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Table of Contents

FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION

All statements in this Annual Report on Form 20-F that are not statements of historical fact are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The disclosure and analysis set forth in this Annual Report on Form 20-F includes assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events in a number of places, particularly in relation to our operations, cash flows, financial position, plans, strategies, business prospects, changes and trends in our business and the markets in which we operate. These statements are intended as forward-looking statements. In some cases, predictive, future-tense or forward-looking words such as “believe,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “plan,” “potential,” “may,” “should” and “expect” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, such matters as:

We caution that the forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report on Form 20-F represent our estimates and assumptions only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 20-F and are not intended to give any assurance as to future results. These forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact and represent only our management’s belief as of the date hereof, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially and inversely from expectations expressed in or indicated by the forward-looking statements. Assumptions, expectations, projections, intentions and beliefs about future events may, and often do, vary from actual results and these differences can be material. There are a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, which affect our operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause actual reported results and performance to differ materially from the performance and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, supply and demand for crude oil carriers, product tankers and LNG carriers, charter rates and vessel values, supply and demand for crude oil and petroleum products and liquefied natural gas, accidents, collisions and spills, environmental and other government regulation, the availability of debt financing, fluctuation of currency exchange and interest rates and the other risks and uncertainties that are outlined in this Annual Report on Form 20-F. As a result, the forward-looking events discussed in this Annual Report on Form 20-F might not occur and our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you should not unduly rely on any forward-looking statements.

We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 20-F, whether as a result of new information, future events, a change in our views or expectations or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all these factors. Further, we cannot assess the impact of each such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

PART I

Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited is a Bermuda company that is referred to in this Annual Report on Form 20-F, together with its subsidiaries, as “Tsakos Energy Navigation,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our.” This report should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes thereto, which are included in Item 18 to this report.

On July 1, 2020, the Company effected a 1-for-5 reverse stock split of the common shares of the Company. All share and per share data disclosed in this annual report give effect to this reverse share split.

Not Applicable.

Not Applicable.

Capitalization

The following table sets forth our (i) cash and cash equivalents, (ii) restricted cash and (iii) consolidated capitalization as of December 31, 2021.This table should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto, and “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects,” included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds

Not Applicable.

Risk Factors 

Summary of Risk Factors

An investment in our common shares or preferred shares is subject to a number of risks, including risks related to our industry, business and corporate structure. The following summarizes some, but not all, of these risks. Please carefully consider all of the information discussed in “Item 3. Key Information— Risk Factors” in this annual report for a more thorough description of these and other risks.

Risks Related To Our Industry

Risks Related To Our Business

Risks Related to Our Management Arrangements

Risks Related To Our Common and Preferred Shares

Tax Risks

Risks Related To Our Industry

The tanker industry is cyclical, resulting in charter rates that can be volatile. Poor charter markets for crude oil and product tankers may adversely affect our future revenues and earnings.

The tanker industry is historically cyclical, resulting in volatility in charter rates, and, in turn, our revenue and earnings. The typical cycle is partially the result of fluctuations in the number of tankers available in the market, which determines the overall supply of tankers competing for charters. The number of tankers in the market changes as a result of new deliveries to the market, offset by vessels demolished or converted due to technical obsolescence, as well as changes in the number of vessels occupied on long-distance travel or delayed by geopolitical events. The cycle is also impacted by demand for charter hires resulting from material changes in the supply of and demand for oil due primarily to fluctuations in the price of oil and to geopolitical factors. As of April 21, 2022, two thirds of the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies were employed under charters based upon prevailing market rates (including time charters with a profit share component), and the remaining vessels were employed on time charters which, if not extended, are scheduled to expire on various dates between April 2022 and June 2028, including ten which are scheduled to expire in 2022. After declining significantly from 2016 through most of 2018, adversely affecting our revenues, profitability and cash flows, tanker charter rates improved significantly in the latter part of 2019 and stayed strong through the first half of 2020 due mainly to a strong demand for floating oil storage brought about by low oil prices. However, stagnant demand for oil induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and the release of inventory from storage caused a dramatic fall in tanker rates in the second half of 2020 which continued through 2021 and into 2022, before improving modestly late in the first quarter of 2022. The global economy and demand for oil and oil products remains subject to substantial uncertainty due to the COVID-19 outbreak and related containment efforts throughout the world. In addition, the conflict in Ukraine is disrupting energy production and trade patterns and its impact on energy prices and tanker charter rates, which initially have increased, is uncertain. If rates in the charter market were to remain at low levels for any significant period in 2022, it will have an adverse effect on our revenues, profitability and cash flows. Declines in prevailing charter rates also affect the value of our vessels, which are correlated to the trends of charter rates, and could affect our ability to comply with our loan covenants.

 The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have significant consequences globally that will have a broad range of consequences for the shipping industry, including negatively impacting demand for energy and charter rates, which could continue to negatively affect our business and results of operations.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has had and may continue to have far-reaching repercussions on our business and industry which continue to evolve. There have been many effects on the shipping industry, directly and indirectly, arising from the pandemic. The most important issue to face the industry and our Company, given the high number of fatalities since the beginning of the outbreak, is the potential temporary or permanent loss of onshore personnel and seafarers including individuals who have years of experience with the Company. Our suppliers, the yards that repair and build our vessels and the refineries that our vessels serve, may also suffer reductions in personnel, lost demand for their products and services and government-imposed restrictions on their operations.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, beginning in early 2020 and continuing into 2022, has led several countries, ports and organizations to take measures against its spread, such as quarantines and restrictions on travel. These measures have and will likely continue to cause severe trade disruptions due to, among other things, the unavailability of personnel, supply chain disruption, interruptions of production, delays in planned strategic projects and closure of businesses and facilities.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the global response to it has introduced uncertainty in various areas of our business, including our operational, commercial and financial activities. It has also negatively impacted, and may continue to impact negatively, global economic activity, which has negatively impacted demand for energy including oil and oil products, as well as LNG, and in turn charter rates for our vessels not fixed on long-term fixed-rate charters.  These factors may continue to have a significant adverse effect on our ability to secure charters at profitable rates, particularly for our vessels in the spot market or those operating with profit share arrangements or the ten tankers in our fleet with charters expiring in 2022, as demand for additional charters could continue to be significantly affected. The business of our charterers could also be adversely affected, which could adversely affect their ability and willingness to perform their obligations under our existing charters as well as decreasing demand for future charters. COVID-19 is also affecting oil major vetting processes, which could lead to the loss of oil major approvals to conduct business with us and in turn the loss of revenue under existing charters or future chartering opportunities.

Travel restrictions imposed on a global level also caused disruptions in scheduled crew changes on our vessels and delays in carrying out of certain hull repairs and maintenance during 2020 and 2021, which disruptions could also continue to affect our operations. Our business and the shipping industry as a whole may continue to be impacted by a reduced workforce and delays of crew changes as a result of quarantines applicable in several countries and ports, as well as delays in the construction of newbuild vessels, scheduled dry dockings, intermediate or special surveys of vessels and scheduled and unscheduled ship repairs and upgrades. Prolongment of the COVID-19 pandemic could impact credit markets and financial institutions and result in increased interest rate spreads and other costs of, and difficulty in obtaining, bank financing, including to refinance balloon payments due upon maturity of existing credit facilities and to finance the purchase price of vessel acquisitions, which could limit our ability to grow our business in line with our strategy.

The lockdowns and commitment by world governments to provide financial support to their populations during the pandemic may have serious adverse long-term effects on the economies and budgetary resources of these nations, which in turn may result in a decline in oil demand and a reduction of vessel utilization. Government-imposed lockdowns, curfews and other restrictions on businesses and personal activity in many countries may even lead to changes in prevailing governmental practices and relationships between governments and their citizens that may in turn lead to political turmoil and strife.

Failure to control the continued spread of COVID-19 could continue to significantly impact economic activity, and in turn demand for crude oil, oil products and LNG, which could further negatively affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

 Disruptions in world financial markets and economic conditions, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine, and protectionist trade measures and other governmental action in the United States and in other parts of the world could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and share price.

Global financial markets and economic conditions have been disrupted and volatile at times over the past two decades, and more recently since 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2022 as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and inflation concerns, and remain subject to significant vulnerabilities, such as the deterioration of fiscal balances and the rapid accumulation of public debt, continued deleveraging in the banking sector and a limited supply of credit in the shipping industry, all of which are likely to be exacerbated by the continued spread the COVID-19 and its variants. While the global economy was improving, it remained subject to downside risk, and the outbreak of COVID-19 and second waves in several key economies has dramatically disrupted the global economy, the duration of which is unpredictable. This may also prolong tight credit markets and potentially cause such conditions to become more severe.

In addition, the exit of the UK from the European Union and the possible need of realignment of trading patterns as a consequence, as well as continued turmoil and hostilities in Ukraine and the Middle East or potential hostilities elsewhere in the world and additional public health emergencies or natural disasters, could contribute to volatility in the global financial markets. These  circumstances, along with the re-pricing of credit risk and the reduced participation of certain financial institutions from financing of the shipping industry, will likely continue to affect the availability, cost and terms of vessel financing. If financing is not available to us when it is needed, or is available only on unfavorable terms, our business may be adversely affected, with corresponding effects on our profitability, cash flows and ability to pay dividends.

Moreover, as a result of the slow recovery from the economic crisis in Greece, exacerbated by the spread of COVID-19 in the country and related restrictions of movement, and the related austerity measures implemented by the Greek government, our operations may be subjected to new regulations that may require us to incur new or additional compliance or other administrative costs and may require that we pay to the Greek government new taxes or other fees or that dividends we pay be subject to withholding taxes. Financial difficulties of the European Union resulting from the UK exit from the European Union and challenges confronted by member states in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly Italy, France and Spain, may place additional pressure on the Eurozone and limit the flexibility of its leadership and member states in lending to the Greek government. Furthermore, the commitments by the Greek government to the nations’ creditors and potential shift in its policies may potentially lead to Greece’s exit from the Eurozone if not satisfied, which could affect our technical and commercial managers’ operations located in Greece.

The implementation by the U.S. or other governments of protectionist trade measures, including tariffs or other trade restrictions such as those imposed by the U.S. and China, could also adversely affect the world oil and petroleum markets.

The tanker industry is highly dependent upon the crude oil and petroleum products industries.

The employment of our subsidiaries’ vessels is driven by the availability of and demand for crude oil and petroleum products, the availability of modern tanker capacity and the scrapping, conversion, or loss of older vessels. Historically, the world oil and petroleum markets have been volatile and cyclical because of the many conditions and events that affect the supply, price, production and transport of oil, including:

Despite turbulence in the world economy at times in recent years, worldwide demand for oil and oil products has continued to rise; however, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused demand for oil and oil products to stagnant and the conflict in Ukraine could ultimately have a similar effect. In the event that this recent softness persists and the long-term trend falters, the production of and demand for crude oil and petroleum products will encounter pressure which could lead to a decrease in shipments of these products and consequently this would have an adverse impact on the employment of our vessels and the charter rates that they command, as has been the case since the second half of 2020, aside from an initial increase from the conflict in Ukraine in March and April 2022. Also, if oil prices decline to uneconomic levels for producers, it may lead to declining output. As a result of any reduction in demand or output, the charter rates that we earn from our vessels employed on charters related to market rates may decline, as they have since the second half of 2020 through early 2022, and possibly remain at low levels for a prolonged period.

Our operating results are subject to seasonal fluctuations.

The tankers owned by our subsidiary companies operate in markets that have historically exhibited seasonal variations in tanker demand, which may result in variability in our results of operations on a quarter-by-quarter basis. Tanker markets are typically stronger in the winter months due to increased oil consumption in the northern hemisphere, but weaker in the summer months as a result of lower oil consumption in the northern hemisphere and refinery maintenance. As a result, revenues generated by the tankers in our fleet have historically been weaker during the fiscal quarters ended June 30 and September 30. However, there may be periods in the northern hemisphere when the expected seasonal strength does not materialize to the extent required to support sustainable profitable rates due to tanker overcapacity.

An increase in the global supply of vessels, or specifically in a particular category of vessel, without an increase in demand for such vessels could cause global charter rates to decline, or rates for a particular category of vessel to decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.

Historically, the marine transportation industry has been cyclical. The profitability and asset values of companies in the industry have fluctuated based on certain factors, including changes in the supply and demand of vessels. The supply of vessels generally increases with deliveries of newly constructed vessels and decreases with the scrapping or conversion of older vessels and/or the removal of vessels from the competitive fleet either for storage purposes or for utilization in offshore projects. The newbuilding order book equaled approximately 5% of the existing world tanker fleet at March 1, 2022, by number of vessels, with a significant amount of these newbuilding vessels scheduled to be delivered in 2022. No assurance can be given that the order book will not increase further in proportion to the existing fleet. If vessel supply increases, and demand does not match that increase, the charter rates for our vessels could decline significantly. In addition, any decline of trade on specific long-haul trade routes will effectively increase available capacity with a detrimental impact on rates. A decline in, or prolonged period of, already weak charter rates could have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.

The global tanker industry is highly competitive.

We operate our fleet in a highly competitive market. Our competitors include owners of VLCC, suezmax, aframax, panamax, handymax and handysize tankers, as well as owners in the shuttle tanker and LNG markets, which are other independent tanker companies, as well as state and independent oil companies, some of which have greater financial strength and capital resources than we do. Competition in the tanker industry is intense and depends on price, location, size, age, condition, installation of required or technically up to date equipment and the acceptability of the available tankers and their operators to potential charterers.

Acts of piracy on ocean-going vessels, although recently declining in frequency, could still adversely affect our business.

Despite a decline in the frequency of pirate attacks on seagoing vessels in the western part of the Indian Ocean, such attacks remain prevalent off the west coast of Africa and between Malaysia and Indonesia. In addition, more recently, there has been an apparent attempted hijack of a tanker by stowaways off the UK coast, requiring military intervention by British special forces. If piracy attacks or vessel hijacks result in regions in which our vessels are deployed being characterized by insurers as “war risk” zones, as the Gulf of Aden has been, or Joint War Committee (JWC) “war and strikes” listed areas, premiums payable for such insurance coverage could increase significantly and such insurance coverage may be more difficult to obtain. Crew costs, including those due to employing onboard security guards, could increase in such circumstances. In addition, while we believe the charterer remains liable for charter payments when a vessel is seized by pirates, the charterer may dispute this and withhold charter hire until the vessel is released. A charterer may also claim that a vessel seized by pirates was not “on-hire” for a certain number of days and it is therefore entitled to cancel the charter party, a claim that we would dispute. We may not be adequately insured to cover losses from these incidents, which could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, hijacking as a result of an act of piracy against our vessels, or an increase in cost, or unavailability of insurance for our vessels, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Terrorist attacks, international hostilities, economic and trade sanctions, including those related to the conflict in Ukraine, can affect the tanker industry, which could adversely affect our business.

Major oil and gas producing countries in the Middle East have become involved militarily in conflicts in Iraq, Syria, Azerbaijan and Yemen. Armed conflicts with insurgents and others continue, as well, in Chad and Libya, and political unrest and instability have adversely affected the infrastructure and economic stability of Venezuela, each of which is a major oil exporting country.In addition, tension and instability in the Persian Gulf, such as explosions on two oil tankers in June 2019 in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passageway for international oil shipment, may adversely affect the future export of oil around the region. In 2020, bellicose tensions between Greece and Turkey have increased relating to oil exploration rights in the Aegean Sea and off Cyprus and also relating to illegal movements of migrants from Turkey to Greece.

Any such hostility or instability could seriously disrupt the production of oil or LNG and endanger their export by vessel or pipeline, which could put our vessels at serious risk and impact our operations and our revenues, expenses, profitability and cash flows in varying ways that we cannot now project with any certainty.

Furthermore, Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, and sanctions announced in February and March 2022 by the United States, the EU and several European and other nations against Russia and any further sanctions, including any sanctions or restrictions affecting companies with Russian connections or the Russian energy sector and harmed by any retaliatory measures by Russia or other countries in response, may also adversely impact our business given Russia’s role as a major global exporter of crude oil.

The increasing number of terrorist attacks throughout the world, longer-lasting wars, international incidents or international hostilities, such as in the Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen and the Korean peninsula, could damage the world economy and adversely affect the availability of and demand for crude oil and petroleum products and negatively affect our investment and our customers’ investment decisions over an extended period of time. In addition, sanctions against oil exporting countries such as Iran, Sudan, Syria, Russia and Venezuela may also impact the availability of crude oil which would increase the availability of tankers, thereby negatively impacting charter rates. We conduct our vessel operations internationally and despite undertaking various security measures, our vessels may become subject to terrorist acts and other acts of hostility like piracy, either at port or at sea. Such actions could adversely impact our overall business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, terrorist acts and regional hostilities around the world in recent years have led to increases in our insurance premium rates and the implementation of special “war risk” premiums for certain trading routes, although our charter party agreements generally provide that additional war risks insurance costs are for charterers’ account.

The conflict in Ukraine could disrupt our operations and negatively impact charter rates and costs.

The conflict in Ukraine, and the economic sanctions imposed by the EU, U.S. and other countries in response to Russian action, is disrupting energy production and trade patterns, including shipping in the Black Sea and elsewhere, and its impact on energy prices and tanker rates, which initially have increased, is uncertain. In 2021, Russia is estimated to have accounted for approximately 9% of seaborne crude oil exports and 11% of refined petroleum exports, and escalating tensions in the region and fears of potential shortages in the supply of Russian crude oil have caused the price of crude oil to currently trade above $100 per barrel. If Russian crude oil is not available for export, due to the extension of economic sanctions, boycotts or otherwise, it could result in a reduction in the supply of crude oil and refined petroleum products cargoes available for transportation and, while initially tanker rates have increased, negatively impact tanker charter rates over the longer term. In addition, high oil prices could reduce demand for oil and refined petroleum products, including in the event of any slowdown in the global economy due such high oil prices or the impact of economic sanctions or geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, and in turn reduce demand for tankers and tanker charter rates. The conflict may also impact various costs of operating our business, such as bunker expenses, for which we are responsible when our vessels operate in the spot market, which have increased with oil prices, war risk insurance premiums and crewing services, as Russia and the Ukraine are significant sources of crews, which may be disrupted or more expensive.

In addition, to the extent our vessels carry cargoes originating in Russia, in compliance with existing sanctions, oil majors and other charterers may elect not to charter our vessels simply for doing business with companies that do lawful business in Russia. In addition, it may not be possible for us to obtain war risk insurance for any vessel loading Russian origin cargoes. In such a case, if the vessel was damaged in connection with such a voyage, which could result in the total loss of the vessel, we would have to bear the repair and other costs associated with such an incident, as well as the lack of revenue from any off-hire period, in reliance on our existing cash resources, and we would remain obligated to service and repay our outstanding indebtedness secured by such vessel.

The situation in Ukraine, and the global response, continues to evolve and its impact on energy supply and demand, energy prices and tanker operations and charter rates remains subject to considerable uncertainty, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our charterers may direct one of our vessels to call on ports located in countries that are subject to restrictions imposed by the U.S. government, the UN or the EU, which could negatively affect the trading price of our shares.

On charterers’ instructions, our subsidiaries’ vessels may be requested to call on ports located in countries subject to sanctions and embargoes imposed by the U.S. government, the UN or the EU and countries identified by the U.S. government, the UN or the EU as state sponsors of terrorism. The U.S., UN- and EU- sanctions and embargo laws and regulations vary in their application, as they do not all apply to the same covered persons or proscribe the same activities, and such sanctions and embargo laws and regulations may be amended or strengthened over time.

On January 16, 2016, “Implementation Day” for the Iran Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the United States lifted its secondary sanctions against Iran which prohibited certain conduct by non-U.S. companies and individuals that occurred entirely outside of U.S. jurisdiction involving specified industry sectors in Iran, including the energy, petrochemical, automotive, financial, banking, mining, shipbuilding and shipping sectors. By lifting the secondary sanctions against Iran, the U.S. government effectively removed U.S. imposed restraints on dealings by non-U.S. companies, such as our Company, and individuals with these formerly targeted Iranian business sectors. Non-U.S. companies continued to be prohibited under U.S. sanctions from (i) knowingly engaging in conduct that seeks to evade U.S. restrictions on transactions or dealings with Iran or that causes the export of goods or services from the United States to Iran, (ii) exporting, reexporting or transferring to Iran any goods, technology, or services originally exported from the U.S. and / or subject to U.S. export jurisdiction and (iii) conducting transactions with the Iranian or Iran-related individuals and entities that remain or are placed in the future on OFAC’s list of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List), notwithstanding the lifting of secondary sanctions.

However, on August 6, 2018, the U.S. re-imposed an initial round of secondary sanctions and as of November 5, 2018, virtually all of the secondary sanctions the U.S. had suspended under the JCPOA have been re-imposed.

The U.S. government’s primary Iran sanctions have remained in place throughout recent years and, consequently, U.S. persons continue to be broadly prohibited from engaging in transactions or dealings in or with Iran or its government. In addition, U.S. persons continue to be broadly prohibited from engaging in transactions or dealings with the Government of Iran and Iranian financial institutions, which effectively impacts the transfer of funds to, from, or through the U.S. financial system whether denominated in U.S. dollars or any other currency. The new presidential administration in the United States may result in further amendments that could impact the number of operational tankers in the global fleet with adverse consequences for us.

The U.S. also maintains embargoes on Cuba, North Korea and Syria, and certain regions of Ukraine. Beginning in February 2022, the United States, the European Union and numerous other nations have also been imposing substantial additional sanctions on Russia regarding its invasion of Ukraine.

We can anticipate that some of our charterers may request our vessels to call on ports located in these countries. Although we believe that we are in compliance with all applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations, and intend to maintain such compliance, there can be no assurance that we will be in compliance in the future, particularly as the scope of certain laws may be unclear and may be subject to changing interpretations. Such sanctions and embargo laws and regulations may be amended or expanded over time as is the case with the war in Ukraine. Any such violation could result in fines or other penalties and could result in some investors deciding, or being required, to divest their interest, or not to invest, in us. Additionally, some investors may decide to divest their interest, or not to invest, in us simply because we do business with companies that do lawful business in sanctioned countries. Moreover, our charterers may violate applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations because of actions that do not involve us or our vessels, and those violations could in turn negatively affect our reputation. Current or future counterparties of ours may be or become affiliated with persons or entities that are now or may in the future be the subject of sanctions imposed by the U.S. Government, the European Union, and/or other international bodies. If we determine that such sanctions or embargoes require us to terminate existing or future contracts to which we, or our subsidiaries are a party or if we are found to be in violation of such applicable sanctions or embargoes, we could face monetary fines, we may suffer reputational harm and our results of operations may be adversely affected. Investor perception of the value of our shares may also be adversely affected by the consequences of war, the effects of terrorism, civil unrest and governmental actions in these and surrounding countries.

Failure to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-bribery legislation in other jurisdictions could result in fines, criminal penalties, contract terminations and an adverse effect on our business.

The vessels of our subsidiaries load and discharge cargoes in several countries throughout the world. In addition, we deal with many charterers and shipbrokers that are based in various countries. Certain of the countries in which these charterers and brokers operate may, in the past, have had a reputation for corruption. Brazilian authorities have charged certain shipbrokers with various offenses in connection with charters entered into between a major state oil entity and various international shipowners. We are subject to the risk that the alleged actions taken by these brokers are determined to constitute a violation of anti-corruption laws applicable to the Company, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977 (the “FCPA”). In 2020, in parallel with U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigations regarding whether the circumstances surrounding these charters, including the actions taken by these shipbrokers, constituted non-compliance with provisions of the FCPA applicable to the Company, we began investigating these matters. We are always committed to doing business in accordance with anti-corruption laws and are cooperating with these agencies.  

Any violation of the FCPA or other anti-bribery legislation in other jurisdictions could result in substantial fines, sanctions, civil and/or criminal penalties, or curtailment of operations in certain jurisdictions, and might adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation and ability to do business. Furthermore, detecting, investigating, and resolving actual or alleged violations is expensive and can consume significant time and attention of our senior management.

Efforts to take advantage of opportunities in pursuit of our growth strategy may result in financial or commercial difficulties.

A key strategy of management is to continue to renew and grow the fleet by pursuing the acquisition of additional vessels or fleets or companies that are complementary to our existing operations. If we seek to expand through acquisitions, we face numerous challenges, including:

We cannot assure you that we will successfully integrate the operations, personnel, services or vessels that we might acquire in the future, and our failure to do so could adversely affect our profitability.

We are subject to regulation and liability under environmental, health and safety laws that could require significant expenditures and affect our cash flows and net income.

Our business and the operation of our subsidiaries’ vessels are subject to extensive international, national, and local environmental and health and safety laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which our vessels operate, as well as in the country or countries of their registration. In addition, major oil companies chartering our vessels impose, from time to time, their own environmental and health and safety requirements. To comply with these requirements and regulations, including the new MARPOL Annex VI sulfur emission requirements instituting a global 0.5% sulfur cap on marine fuels from January 1, 2020 and the IMO ballast water management (“BWM”) convention, which requires vessels to install expensive ballast water treatment systems (“BWTS”) before the first MARPOL renewal survey conducted after September 8, 2019, for newly constructed vessels after September 8, 2017 to have a BWTS installed by delivery and for all vessels to be certified in accordance with the BWM convention by September 8, 2024, we may be required to incur additional costs to meet new maintenance and inspection requirements, develop contingency plans for potential spills, and obtain insurance coverage.

These and future environmental regulations, which may become stricter, may limit our ability to do business, increase our operating costs and/or force the early retirement of our vessels, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Environmental laws and regulations are often revised, and we cannot predict the ultimate cost of complying with them, or the impact they may have on the resale prices or useful lives of our vessels. We believe that regulation of the shipping industry will continue to become more stringent and compliance with such new regulations will be more expensive for us and our competitors.

International, national and local laws imposing liability for oil spills are also becoming increasingly stringent. Some impose joint, several, and in some cases, unlimited liability on owners, operators and charterers regardless of fault. We could be held liable as an owner, operator or charterer under these laws. In addition, under certain circumstances, we could also be held accountable under these laws for the acts or omissions of Tsakos Shipping & Trading S.A. (“Tsakos Shipping”), Tsakos Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd. (“TCM”) or Tsakos Energy Management Limited (“Tsakos Energy Management”), companies that provide technical and commercial management services for our subsidiaries’ vessels and us, or others in the management or operation of our subsidiaries’ vessels. Although we currently maintain, and plan to continue to maintain, for each of our subsidiaries’ vessels’ pollution liability coverage in the amount of $1 billion per incident (the maximum amount available), liability for a catastrophic spill could exceed the insurance coverage we have available and result in our having to liquidate assets to pay claims. In addition, we may be required to contribute to funds established by regulatory authorities for the compensation of oil pollution damage or provide financial assurances for oil spill liability to regulatory authorities.

Adverse effects upon the oil and gas industry relating to climate change, including growing public concern about the environmental impact of climate change, may also have an effect on demand for our services. For example, increased regulation of greenhouse gases or other concerns relating to climate change may reduce the demand for oil and natural gas in the future or create greater incentives for use of alternative energy sources. Any long-term material adverse effect on the oil and gas industry could have significant financial and operational adverse impacts on our business that we cannot predict with certainty at this time.

 Maritime disasters and other operational risks may adversely impact our reputation, financial condition, and results of operations.

The operation of ocean-going vessels has an inherent risk of maritime disaster and/or accident, environmental mishaps, cargo and property losses or damage and business interruptions caused by, among others:

Any of these circumstances could adversely affect our operations, result in loss of revenues or increased costs and adversely affect our profitability and our ability to perform our charters.

Our subsidiaries’ vessels could be arrested at the request of third parties.

Under general maritime law in many jurisdictions, crew members, tort claimants, vessel mortgagees, suppliers of goods and services and other claimants may lien a vessel for unsatisfied debts, claims or damages. In many jurisdictions a maritime lien holder may enforce its lien by arresting a vessel through court process. In some jurisdictions, under the extended sister ship theory of liability, a claimant may arrest not only the vessel with respect to which the claimant’s maritime lien has arisen, but also any associated vessel under common ownership or control. While in some jurisdictions which have adopted this doctrine, liability for damages is limited in scope and would only extend to a company and its ship-owning subsidiaries, we cannot assure you that liability for damages caused by some other vessel determined to be under common ownership or control with our subsidiaries’ vessels would not be asserted against us.

Risks Related To Our Business

A decline in the future value of our vessels could affect our ability to comply with various covenants in our credit facilities unless waived or modified by our lenders.

Our credit facilities, which are secured by mortgages on our subsidiaries’ vessels, require us to maintain specified collateral coverage ratios and satisfy financial covenants, including requirements based on the market value of our vessels, such as maximum corporate leverage levels and loan-to-asset collateral coverage requirements. The appraised value of a vessel fluctuates depending on a variety of factors including the age of the vessel, its hull configuration, prevailing charter market conditions, supply and demand balance for vessels and new and pending legislation. The oversupply of tankers and depressed tanker charter market adversely affected tanker values from the middle of 2008 to the middle of 2019, and despite the relatively young age of our subsidiaries’ fleet and extensive long-term charter employment on many of the vessels, resulted in a significant decline in the charter-free values of certain of our subsidiaries’ vessels. Vessel values recovered from the end of 2013, but again declined during 2016 and 2017 and remained at relatively low levels through 2018 due primarily to global fleet overcapacity and lack of financing for potential buyers to acquire second-hand, charter free vessels. Values recovered in 2019 and continued to improve into early 2020. However, the decline in demand for tankers in mid-2020 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a fall in values, which continued throughout 2021 and into 2022. If these values remain at low levels for a prolonged period, or further decline, it may result in an inability to comply with the financial covenants under our credit facilities which relate to our consolidated leverage and loan-to-asset value collateral requirements. If we were unable to obtain waivers in the case of non-compliance with consolidated leverage or other financial covenants, or post additional collateral or prepay principal in the case of loan-to-asset value requirements, our lenders could accelerate our indebtedness. We have paid all our scheduled loan installments and related loan interest consistently without delay or omission.

Charters at attractive rates may not be available when our current time charters expire.

During 2021 we derived approximately 53% of our revenues from time charters, as compared to 60% in 2020. As our current period charters on ten of the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies expire in the remainder of 2022, considering the volatile nature of the tanker market and current cyclically low charter rates, it may not be possible to re-charter these vessels on a period basis at attractive rates. If attractive period charter opportunities are not available, we may seek to charter the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies on the spot market, which is subject to significant fluctuations. In the event a vessel owned by one of our subsidiary companies may not find employment at economically viable rates, management may opt to lay up the vessel until such time that rates become attractive again (an action which our subsidiary companies have never undertaken). During the period of any layup, the vessel would continue to incur expenditures such as debt service, insurance, reduced crew wages and maintenance costs.

We are dependent on the ability and willingness of our charterers to honor their commitments to us for substantially all our revenues and the failure of our counterparties to meet their obligations under our charter agreements could cause us to suffer losses or otherwise adversely affect our business.

We derive substantially all our revenues from the payment of charter hire by our charterers. As of April 21, 2022, 39 of our 66 subsidiaries’ vessels were employed under time charters including time charters with profit sharing provisions above specified minimum rate levels and pooling arrangements. We could lose a charterer or the benefits of a time charter if:

If we lose a time charter, we may be unable to re-deploy the related vessel on terms as favorable to us or at all. We would not receive any revenues from such a vessel while it remained unchartered, but we may be required to pay expenses necessary to maintain the vessel in proper operating condition, insure it and service any indebtedness secured by such vessel.

The ability and willingness of each of the counterparties to perform their obligations under their charters will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, general economic conditions, the condition of the oil and energy industries and of the oil and oil products shipping industry as well as the overall financial condition of the counterparties and prevailing charter rates. There can be no assurance that some of our subsidiaries’ customers would not fail to pay charter hire or attempt to renegotiate charter rates and, if the charterers fail to meet their obligations or attempt to renegotiate charter agreements, we could sustain significant losses which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as well as our ability to pay dividends in the future.

If our charterers fail to meet their obligations to us or attempt to renegotiate our charter agreements, as part of a court-led restructuring or otherwise, we could sustain significant reductions in revenue and earnings which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as well as our ability to pay dividends, if any, in the future, and comply with the covenants in our credit facilities.

If our exposure to the spot market increases, our revenues could suffer and our expenses could increase.

The spot market for crude oil and petroleum product tankers is highly competitive. As of April 21, 2022, twenty of the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies were employed under spot charters, as we have decided to maintain a higher number of vessels in the spot market until charter rates improve. Due to increased participation in the spot market, we may experience a lower overall utilization of our fleet through waiting time or ballast voyages, leading to a decline in operating revenue. Moreover, to the extent our vessels are employed in the spot market, both our revenue from vessels and our operating costs, specifically our voyage expenses, will be significantly impacted by adverse movements in the cost of bunkers (fuel), including the price of low sulfur fuel certain of our vessels have been required to use since the beginning of . See “—Fuel prices may adversely affect our profits.” Unlike time charters in which the charterer bears all the bunker costs, in spot market voyages we bear the bunker charges as part of our voyage costs. As a result, while historical movements in bunker charges are factored into the prospective freight rates for spot market voyages periodically announced by World Scale Association (London) Limited and similar organizations, increases in bunker charges in any given period could have a material adverse effect on our cash flow and results of operations for the period in which the increase occurs. In addition, to the extent we employ our vessels pursuant to contracts of affreightment or under pooling arrangements, the rates that we earn from the charterers under those contracts may be subject to reduction based on market conditions, which could lead to a decline in our operating revenue. 

Because the market value of our vessels may fluctuate significantly, we may incur impairment charges or losses when we sell vessels which may adversely affect our earnings.

The fair market value of tankers may increase or decrease depending on any of the following:

The global economic downturn that commenced in 2008 and the consequences thereof, resulted in a decrease in vessel values. Since then valuations have fluctuated, falling whenever there was excess fleet capacity and falling freight rates, as in 2013, and recovering when tanker market conditions improved as in 2015. Valuations declined again in 2016 and remained low through 2017 and 2018, but recovered in 2019, before falling again in the second half of 2020 along with charter rates, which weakness continued through the first quarter of 2022. Although our subsidiaries currently own a relatively modern fleet, with an average age of 10.4 years as of April 21, 2022, as vessels grow older, they generally decline in value.

We have a policy of considering the disposal of tankers periodically. If our subsidiaries’ tankers are sold at a time when tanker prices have fallen, the sale may be at less than the vessel’s carrying value on our financial statements, with the result that we will incur a loss.

In addition, accounting standards require that we periodically review long-lived assets and certain identifiable intangibles for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. An impairment charge for an asset held for use should be recognized when the estimate of undiscounted cash flows, excluding interest charges, expected to be generated by the use of the asset is less than it’s carrying amount. Measurement of the impairment charge is based on the fair value of the asset as provided by third parties. Such reviews may from time-to-time result in asset write-downs, which could adversely affect our results of operations, such as we did in 2019, 2020 and 2021, with respect to seven, zero and seven of our subsidiaries’ tankers, respectively.

If TCM is unable to attract and retain skilled crew members, our reputation and ability to operate safely and efficiently may be harmed.

Our continued success depends in significant part on the continued services of the officers and seamen whom TCM provides to crew the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies. The market for qualified, experienced officers and seamen is extremely competitive and has grown more so in recent periods due to the growth in world economies and other employment opportunities. Although TCM has manning management arrangements with a number of accredited manning agencies in Philippines, Ukraine, Romania, Georgia, Latvia, Brasil, Greece and Russia and sponsors various academies in the relevant regions, we cannot assure you that TCM will be successful in its efforts to recruit and retain properly skilled personnel at commercially reasonable salaries. Any failure to do so could adversely affect our ability to operate cost-effectively and our ability to increase the size of the fleet.

Labor interruptions could disrupt our operations.

Substantially all of the seafarers and land-based employees of TCM are covered by industry-wide collective bargaining agreements that set basic standards. We cannot assure you that these agreements will prevent labor interruptions. In addition, like many other vessels internationally, some of our subsidiaries’ vessels operate under so-called “flags of convenience” and may be vulnerable to unionization efforts by the International Transport Federation and other similar seafarer organizations which could be disruptive to our operations. Any labor interruption or unionization effort which is disruptive to our operations could harm our financial performance.

Contracts for newbuilding vessels present certain economic and other risks.

As of April 21, 2022, our subsidiaries have contracts for the construction of one DP2 suezmax shuttle tanker for delivery in 2022 and four dual fuel LNG powered aframax tankers for delivery in 2023. Our subsidiaries may also order additional newbuilding vessels. During the construction of a vessel, we are required to make progress payments. While we typically have refund guarantees from banks to cover defaults by the shipyards and our construction contracts would be saleable in the event of our payment default, we can still incur economic losses if we or the shipyards are unable to perform our respective obligations. Shipyards may periodically experience financial difficulties. We have arranged senior secured debt financing for the remaining installment payments for the DP2 suezmax shuttle tanker of these newbuildings and we are in the process of seeking to arrange debt financing for the other four dual fuel LNG powered aframax vessels, each of which have time charter employment arranged commencing upon their delivery. 

Delays in the delivery of these vessels, or any newbuilding or secondhand vessels our subsidiaries may agree to acquire, could delay our receipt of revenues generated by these vessels and, to the extent we have arranged charter employment for these vessels, could possibly result in the cancellation of those charters, and therefore adversely affect our anticipated results of operations. The delivery of newbuilding vessels could be delayed because of, among other things: work stoppages or other labor disturbances; bankruptcy or other financial crisis of the shipyard building the vessel; hostilities or political or economic disturbances in the countries where the vessels are being built, including any escalation of tensions involving North Korea; weather interference or catastrophic events, such as a major earthquake, tsunami or fire; our requests for changes to the original vessel specifications; requests from our customers, with whom our commercial managers arrange charters for such vessels, to delay construction and delivery of such vessels due to weak economic conditions and shipping demand or a dispute with the shipyard building the vessel.

Credit conditions internationally might impact our ability to raise debt financing.

Global financial markets and economic conditions have been disrupted and volatile for periods in recent years. At times, the credit markets as well as the debt and equity capital markets were distressed, and it was difficult for many shipping companies to obtain adequate financing. The cost of available financing also increased significantly, but for leading shipping companies has since declined. The global financial markets and economic conditions could again experience volatility and disruption in the future.

We have traditionally financed our vessel acquisitions or constructions with our own cash (equity), including from share issuances, and bank debt from various reputable national and international commercial banks. In relation to newbuilding contracts, the equity portion usually covers part of the pre-delivery obligations while the debt portion covers the outstanding amount due to the shipyard on delivery. More recently, however, we have arranged pre-delivery bank financing to cover much of the installments due before delivery, and, therefore, we would be required to provide the remainder of our equity investment at delivery. In addition, several of our existing loans will mature over the next few years, including one in 2022. If the related vessels are not sold, or we do not wish to use existing cash for paying the final balloon payments, then re-financing of the loans for an extended period beyond the maturity date will be necessary. Current and future terms and conditions of available debt financing, especially for older vessels without time charter could be different from terms obtained in the past and could result in a higher cost of capital, if available at all. Any adverse development in the credit markets could materially alter our current and future financial and corporate planning and growth and have a negative impact on our balance sheet.

The future performance of our subsidiaries’ LNG carriers depends on continued growth in LNG production and demand for LNG and LNG shipping.

The future performance of our subsidiaries’ LNG carriers will depend on continued growth in LNG production and the demand for LNG and LNG shipping. A complete LNG project includes production, liquefaction, storage, re-gasification, and distribution facilities, in addition to the marine transportation of LNG. Increased infrastructure investment has led to an expansion of LNG production capacity in recent years, but material delays in the construction of new liquefaction facilities could constrain the amount of LNG available for shipping, reducing ship utilization. The rate of growth in global LNG demand has fluctuated due to several factors, including global economic conditions and economic uncertainty, fluctuations in the price of natural gas and other sources of energy, growth in natural gas production from unconventional sources in regions such as North America and the highly complex and capital-intensive nature of new or expanded LNG projects, including liquefaction projects. Growth in LNG production and demand for LNG and LNG shipping could be negatively affected by several factors, including:

Reduced demand for LNG or LNG shipping, or any reduction or limitation in LNG production capacity, could have a material adverse effect on our ability to secure future multi-year time charters for the LNG carriers, or for any new LNG carriers our subsidiaries may acquire, which could harm our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, including cash available for dividends to our shareholders.

Demand for LNG shipping could be significantly affected by volatile natural gas prices and the overall demand for natural gas.

Natural gas prices are volatile and are affected by numerous factors beyond our control, including but not limited to the following:

Any decline in oil prices, which can be very volatile, can depress natural gas prices and lead to a narrowing of the gap in pricing in different geographic regions, which can adversely affect the length of voyages in the spot LNG shipping market and the spot rates and medium-term charter rates for charters which commence in the near future. Any renewed decline in oil prices could adversely affect both the competitiveness of gas as a fuel for power generation and the market price of gas, to the extent that gas prices are benchmarked to the price of crude oil. Some production companies have announced delays or cancellations of certain previously announced LNG projects, which, unless offset by new projects coming on stream, could adversely affect demand for LNG charters over the next few years, while the amount of tonnage available for charter is expected to increase. A decline in the price of oil, which until recently had been at relatively low levels for an extended period of time, could make LNG a less attractive alternative for some uses and generally lead to reduced production of LNG. Reduced demand for LNG and LNG shipping could have an adverse effect on our future growth and would harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

An oversupply of LNG carriers may lead to a reduction in the charter hire rates we are able to obtain when seeking charters in the future.

Driven in part by an increase in LNG production capacity and the expectation of further future capacity, the construction and delivery of new LNG carriers has been increasing. Any future expansion of the global LNG carrier fleet that cannot be absorbed by existing or future LNG projects may have a negative impact on charter rates, vessel utilization and vessel values. Such impact could be amplified if the expansion of LNG production capacity does not keep pace with fleet growth.

Hire rates for LNG carriers may fluctuate substantially and if rates are low when we are seeking a new charter, our revenues and cash flows may decline.

Until recently increasing, in part due to the anticipated impact of sanctions and other actions related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on natural gas trading patterns, LNG carrier charter rates had generally been at relatively low levels for a number of years, having been negatively impacted by declines in the price of LNG, delays in the completion of liquefaction and regasification facilities around the world and a high order book. In addition, in recent years, as a result of more LNG being traded on a short-term basis and greater liquidity in the LNG shipping market, there has been a decrease in the duration of term charters for on-the-water vessels with such charters now generally being anywhere between six months and three years in duration.  If LNG charter market conditions decline , we may have difficulty in securing new charters at attractive rates and durations for our LNG carriers when their current charters expire. 

Our growth in shuttle tankers depends partly on continued growth in demand for offshore oil transportation, processing and storage services.

Our growth strategy includes expansion in the shuttle tanker sector. Growth in this sector depends on continued growth in world and regional demand for these offshore services, which could be negatively affected by a number of factors, such as:

Oil prices declined substantially in the second half of 2014, which resulted in oil companies announcing reductions in oil production and exploration activities, including in offshore fields, and have since been volatile, most recently increasing in late 2021 and, in part due to the conflict in Ukraine, early 2022, after being at relatively low levels prior to that time. Oil prices may again decline, including due to reduced demand resulting from the consequences of the COVID-19 outbreak or any economic downturn resulting from the conflict in Ukraine which has initially increased oil prices. Continued volatility in oil prices may exist depending on the policies of oil production countries and cartels, as well as international economic conditions and global geopolitics.

Fuel prices may adversely affect our profits.

While we do not bear the cost of fuel (bunkers) under time and bareboat charters, fuel is the largest expense in our shipping operations when vessels are under spot charters. Increases in the price of fuel may, as a result, adversely affect our profitability. The marine fuel with low sulfur content required to comply with the 0.5% sulfur cap on marine fuels became effective on January 1, 2020, for vessels without scrubbers. Initially, low sulfur fuel was substantially more expensive compared to the existing widely used marine fuel, and after narrowing for a period of time, this price differential has again increased recently. If this price differential continues, it could increase our fuel costs for vessels employed in the spot market. In addition, the price of fuel is an important factor in negotiating charters with customers, and rising costs of fuel could make older and less fuel efficient vessels less competitive compared to the more fuel efficient newer vessels or compared with vessels which can utilize less expensive fuel. The price and supply of fuel is unpredictable and fluctuates based on events outside our control, including geopolitical developments.

The shipping industry has inherent operational risks that may not be adequately covered by our insurance.

We believe that we maintain as much insurance on the vessels in the fleet, through insurance companies, including Argosy, a related party company, and P&I clubs, as is appropriate and consistent with industry practice. While we endeavor to be adequately insured against all known risks related to the operation of our subsidiaries’ vessels, there remains the possibility that a liability may not be adequately covered and we may not be able to obtain adequate insurance coverage for the fleet in the future. Certain insurers may also not pay particular claims. Even if our insurance coverage is adequate, we may not be able to obtain a replacement vessel in a timely manner in the event of a loss. Our insurance policies contain deductibles for which we will be responsible and limitations and exclusions which may increase our costs or lower our revenue. In addition, some of our insurance coverage is maintained through mutual protection and indemnity associations, and as a member of such associations we may be required to make additional payments over and above budgeted premiums if member claims make an excessive impact on association reserves. The Company’s P&I renewals as of February 20, 2022 saw an increase in costs of 14.66%, partly due to the International Group of P&I Clubs’ need to increase their income after several years of premium reductions and partly due to the claim on the Group reinsurance contract resulting from the collision between the tanker “Sola TS” and the Norwegian frigate “HELGE INGSTAD” in November 2018. The International Group of P&I Clubs continues to provide its members with $1 billion of oil pollution liability coverage and more than $4 billion of coverage for other liabilities. P&I, Hull and Machinery and War Risk insurance premiums are accounted for as part of operating expenses in our consolidated financial statements; accordingly, any changes in insurance premiums directly impact our operating results.

Failure to protect our information systems against security breaches could adversely affect our business and financial results. Additionally, if these systems fail or become unavailable for any significant period, our business could be harmed.

The efficient operation of our business is dependent on computer hardware and software systems. Information systems are vulnerable to security breaches by computer hackers and cyber terrorists. We rely on industry-accepted security measures and technology to securely maintain confidential and proprietary information maintained on our information systems. However, these measures and technology may not adequately prevent cybersecurity breaches, the access, capture or alteration of information by criminals, the exposure or exploitation of potential security vulnerabilities, the installation of malware or ransomware, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced data or data loss. In addition, the unavailability of the information systems or the failure of these systems to perform as anticipated for any reason could disrupt our business and could result in decreased performance and increased operating costs, causing our business and results of operations to suffer. Any significant interruption or failure of our information systems or any significant breach of security could adversely affect our business and financial results, as well as our cash flows available for distribution to our shareholders.

Our degree of leverage and certain restrictions in our financing agreements impose constraints on us.

We incur substantial debt to finance the acquisition of our vessels. At December 31, 2021, our debt to capital ratio was 51.7% (debt / debt plus equity), with $1.4 billion in debt outstanding. We are required to apply a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to the payment of principal and interest on this debt. In 2021, a substantial portion of our cash flow derived from operations was dedicated to debt service, voluntary early debt prepayments and balloon payments to be refinanced. This limits the funds available for working capital, capital expenditures, dividends and other purposes. Our degree of leverage could have important consequences for us, including the following:

In addition, our financing arrangements, which we secured by mortgages on our vessels, impose operating and financial restrictions on us that restrict our ability to:

We have a holding company structure which depends on dividends from our subsidiaries and interest income to pay our overhead expenses and otherwise fund expenditures. As a result, restrictions contained in our financing arrangements and those of our subsidiaries, including preferred shares issued by our subsidiary that owns four of the tankers in our fleet upon exchange of our Series G Convertible Preferred Shares, on the payment of dividends may restrict our ability to fund our various activities.

We are exposed to volatility in LIBOR and selectively enter into derivative contracts, which can result in higher than market interest rates and charges against our income.

Over the past 15 years we have selectively entered derivative contracts both for investment purposes and to hedge our overall interest expense and, more recently, our bunker expenses. Our board of directors monitors the status of our derivatives to assess whether such derivatives are within reasonable limits and reasonable in light of our particular investment strategy at the time we entered into the derivative contracts.

Loans advanced under our secured credit facilities are, generally, advanced at a floating rate based on the London interbank offered rate (“LIBOR”), which has increased significantly in early 2022 after a long period of stability at historically low levels, and has been volatile in past years, which can affect the amount of interest payable on our debt, and which, in turn, could have an adverse effect on our earnings and cash flow. LIBOR rates were at historically low levels for an extended period of time and may continue to increase from current levels. Our financial condition could be materially adversely affected at any time that we have not entered into interest rate hedging arrangements to hedge our interest rate exposure and the interest rates applicable to our credit facilities and any other financing arrangements we may enter into in the future, including those we enter into to finance a portion of the amounts payable with respect to newbuildings, increase. Moreover, even if we have entered into interest rate swaps or other derivative instruments for purposes of managing our interest rate or bunker cost exposure, our hedging strategies may not be effective, and we may incur substantial loss.

We have a risk management policy and the Audit Committee oversees all our derivative transactions. It is our policy to monitor our exposure to business risk, and to manage the impact of changes in interest rates, foreign exchange rate movements and bunker prices on earnings and cash flows through derivatives. Derivative contracts are executed when management believes that the action is not likely to significantly increase overall risk. Entering swaps and derivatives transactions is inherently risky and presents various possibilities for incurring significant expenses. The derivatives strategies that we employ in the future may not be successful or effective, and we could, as a result, incur substantial additional interest costs. See “Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk” for a description of our current interest rate swap arrangements.

Uncertainty relating to the LIBOR calculation process and potential phasing out of LIBOR after 2023 may adversely affect the amounts payable under our credit facilities and our preferred shares.

The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, has announced that it will phase-out three-month and six-month LIBOR by June 30, 2023. It is unclear whether an extension will be granted or new methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after June 30, 2023, or if alternative rates or benchmarks will be adopted. Various alternative reference rates are being considered in the financial community. The Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) has been proposed by the Alternative Reference Rate Committee, a committee convened by the U.S. Federal Reserve that includes major market participants and on which regulators participate, as an alternative rate to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. SOFR is a broad measure of the cost of borrowing cash in the overnight U.S. treasury repo market. At this time, we expect that SOFR will be the alternative reference rate that the Company’s LIBOR-based agreements will transition to as the 2023 LIBOR sunset date draws closer; however, it is impossible to predict whether SOFR or another reference rate will become an accepted alternative to LIBOR. The changes may adversely affect the trading market for LIBOR based agreements, including our credit facilities, interest rate swaps and preferred shares. We will need to negotiate the replacement benchmark rate on our credit facilities and interest rate swaps, and the use of an alternative rate or benchmark may negatively impact our interest rate expense. Any other contracts entered into in the ordinary course of business which currently refer to, use or include LIBOR may also be impacted.

Our credit facilities bear interest costs at a floating rate based on LIBOR. Uncertainties surrounding changes to the basis of which LIBOR is calculated or the phase-out of LIBOR, which may cause a sudden and prolonged increase or decrease in LIBOR, could adversely affect our operating results and financial condition, as well as our cash flows, including cash available for dividends to our shareholders. While we use interest rate swaps to reduce our exposure to interest rate risk and to hedge a portion of our outstanding indebtedness, there is no assurance that our derivative contracts will provide adequate protection against adverse changes in interest rates or that our bank counter parties will be able to perform their obligations.

If a three-month LIBOR rate is not available, the terms of our various credit facilities, and to the extent applicable, our preferred shares will require alternative determination procedures which may result in an interest and/or a dividend rate differing from expectations and could materially affect the value of such instruments, and our ability to comply with covenants in our credit facilities.

Changing laws and evolving reporting requirements could have an adverse effect on our business.

        Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to reporting requirements may create additional compliance requirements for us. The European Union Code of Conduct Group has assessed the tax policies of a range of countries including Bermuda, where we are incorporated. Bermuda was included in a list of jurisdictions which are required to address the European Union Code of Conduct Group's concerns in respect of ‘economic substance’. Bermuda, along with the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Guernsey, Bailiwick of Jersey and the Isle of Man, has committed to comply with the European Union Code of Conduct Group's requirements on economic substance and has passed legislation in the form of the Economic Substance Act 2018 (the “ESA”). The ESA applies to every registered entity in Bermuda that engages in a relevant activity and requires that every such entity shall maintain a substantial economic presence in Bermuda. The Company believes in its in compliance with these requirements, including with respect to the filing of any requisite declarations.

Certain of our subsidiaries may from time to time be organized in other jurisdictions identified by the COCG based on global standards set by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development with the objective of preventing low-tax jurisdictions from attracting profits from certain activities. If we fail to comply with our obligations under the ESA or any similar law applicable to us in any other jurisdiction, we could be subject to financial penalties and spontaneous disclosure of information to foreign tax officials in related jurisdictions. Any of these actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because some of our subsidiaries’ vessels’ expenses are incurred in foreign currencies, we are exposed to exchange rate risks.

The charterers of the vessels owned by our subsidiary companies pay in U.S. dollars. While most of the expenses incurred by our managers or by us on our subsidiaries’ behalf are paid in U.S. dollars, certain of these expenses are in other currencies, most notably the Euro. In 2021, Euro expenses accounted for approximately 32% of our total operating expenses, including dry dockings. Declines in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to the Euro, or the other currencies in which we incur expenses, would increase the U.S. dollar cost of paying these expenses and thus would adversely affect our results of operations.

We depend on our key personnel.

Our future success depends particularly on the continued service of Nikolas Tsakos, our president and chief executive officer and the sole shareholder of Tsakos Energy Management. The loss of Mr. Tsakos’s services or the services of any of our key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our business. We do not maintain key man life insurance on any of our executive officers.

The Tsakos Holdings Foundation and the Tsakos family can exert considerable control over us, which may limit your ability to influence our actions.

As of April 21, 2022, companies controlled by the Tsakos Holdings Foundation or affiliated with the Tsakos Group own approximately 26.0% of our outstanding common shares. The Tsakos Holdings Foundation is a Liechtenstein foundation whose beneficiaries include persons and entities affiliated with the Tsakos family, charitable institutions and other unaffiliated persons and entities. The council which controls the Tsakos Holdings Foundation consists of five members, two of whom are members of the Tsakos family. As long as the Tsakos Holdings Foundation and the Tsakos family beneficially own a significant percentage of our common shares, each will have the power to influence the election of the members of our board of directors and the vote on substantially all other matters, including significant corporate actions.

Risks Related to our Management Arrangements

We depend on Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM to manage our business.

We do not have the employee infrastructure to manage our operations and have no physical assets. In common with industry practice, our subsidiaries own the vessels in the fleet and any contracts to construct newbuildings. We have engaged Tsakos Energy Management to perform all our executive and management functions. Tsakos Energy Management employees directly provide us with financial, accounting, and other back-office services, including acting as our liaison with the New York Stock Exchange and the Bermuda Monetary Authority. Tsakos Energy Management, in turn, oversees and subcontracts part of commercial management (including treasury, chartering and vessel purchase and sale functions) to Tsakos Shipping, and day-to-day fleet technical management, such as vessel operations, repairs, supplies and crewing, to TCM. As a result, we depend upon the continued services provided by Tsakos Energy Management and Tsakos Energy Management depends on the continued services provided by Tsakos Shipping and TCM.

We derive significant benefits from our relationship with Tsakos Energy Management and its affiliated companies, including purchasing discounts to which we otherwise would not have access. We would be materially adversely affected if any of Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping or TCM becomes unable or unwilling to continue providing services for our benefit at the level of quality they have provided such services in the past and at comparable costs as they have charged in the past. If we were required to employ a ship management company other than Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping or TCM, we cannot offer any assurances that the terms of such management agreements would be on terms as favorable to the Company in the long term.

Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM are privately held companies and there is little or no publicly available information about them.

The ability of Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM to continue providing services for our and our subsidiaries’ benefit will depend in part on their own financial strength. Circumstances beyond our control could impair their financial strength and because each of these companies is privately held, it is unlikely that information about their financial strength would become public. Any such problems affecting these organizations could have a material adverse effect on us.

Tsakos Energy Management has the right to terminate its management agreement with us and Tsakos Shipping and TCM have the right to terminate their respective contracts with Tsakos Energy Management.

Tsakos Energy Management may terminate its management agreement with us at any time upon one year’s notice. In addition, if even one director were to be elected to our board without having been recommended by our existing board, Tsakos Energy Management would have the right to terminate the management agreement on 10 days’ notice. If Tsakos Energy Management terminates the agreement for this reason, we would be obligated to pay Tsakos Energy Management the present discounted value of all payments that would have otherwise become due under the management agreement until June 30 in the tenth year following the date of the termination plus the average of the incentive awards previously paid to Tsakos Energy Management multiplied by 10. A termination as of December 31, 2021 would have resulted in a payment of approximately $156.6 million. Tsakos Energy Management’s contracts with Tsakos Shipping and with TCM may be terminated by either party upon six months’ notice or would terminate automatically upon termination of our management agreement with Tsakos Energy Management.

Our ability to pursue legal remedies against Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM is very limited.

In the event Tsakos Energy Management breaches its management agreement with us, we or our subsidiaries could bring a lawsuit against it. However, because neither we nor they are ourselves party to a contract with Tsakos Shipping or TCM, it may be difficult to sue Tsakos Shipping and TCM for breach of their obligations under their contracts with Tsakos Energy Management, and Tsakos Energy Management may have no incentive to sue Tsakos Shipping and TCM. Tsakos Energy Management is a company with no substantial assets and no income other than the income it derives under the management agreement with us. Therefore, it is unlikely that we or our subsidiaries would be able to obtain any meaningful recovery if we or they were to sue Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping or TCM on contractual grounds.

Tsakos Shipping provides chartering services to other tankers and TCM manages other tankers and could experience conflicts of interests in performing obligations owed to us and the operators of other tankers.

In addition to the vessels that it manages for our fleet, TCM technically manages a fleet of privately owned vessels and is available on occasion to provide similar management services to third-party clients. These vessels are operated by the same group of TCM employees that manage our vessels, and we are advised that its employees manage these vessels on an “ownership neutral” basis; that is, without regard to who owns them. It is not impossible that Tsakos Shipping, which provides chartering services for nearly all vessels technically managed by TCM, might allocate charter or spot opportunities to other TCM managed vessels when our subsidiaries’ vessels are unemployed. It is also possible that TCM could in the future agree to manage more tankers that might directly compete with the fleet.

Clients of Tsakos Shipping have acquired and may acquire additional vessels that may compete with our fleet.

Tsakos Shipping and we have an arrangement whereby it affords us a right of first refusal on any opportunity to purchase a tanker which is 10 years of age or younger or contract to construct a tanker that is referred to or developed by Tsakos Shipping. Were we to decline any opportunity offered to us, or if we do not have the resources or desire to accept it, other clients of Tsakos Shipping might decide to accept the opportunity. In this context, Tsakos Shipping clients have in the past acquired modern tankers and have ordered the construction of vessels. They may acquire or order tankers in the future, which, if we decline to buy from them, could be entered into charters in competition with our vessels. These charters and future charters of tankers by Tsakos Shipping could result in conflicts of interest between their own interests and their obligations to us.

Our chief executive officer has affiliations with Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM which could create conflicts of interest.

Nikolas Tsakos is the president, chief executive officer and a director of our company and the director and sole shareholder of Tsakos Energy Management. Nikolas Tsakos is also the son of the founder of Tsakos Shipping. These responsibilities and relationships could create conflicts of interest that could result in losing revenue or business opportunities or increase our expenses.

Our commercial arrangements with Tsakos Energy Management and Argosy may not always remain on a competitive basis.

We pay Tsakos Energy Management a management fee for its services pursuant to our management agreement. We also place our hull and machinery insurance, increased value insurance and loss of hire insurance through Argosy Insurance Company, Guernsey, a captive insurance company affiliated with Tsakos interests. We believe that the management fees that we pay Tsakos Energy Management compare favorably with management compensation and related costs reported by other publicly traded shipping companies and that our arrangements with Argosy are structured at market rates. Our board reviews publicly available data periodically in order to confirm this. However, we cannot assure you that the fees charged to us are or will continue to be as favorable to us as those we could negotiate with third parties and our board could determine to continue transacting business with Tsakos Energy Management and Argosy even if less expensive alternatives were available from third parties. 

We depend upon Hyundai Ocean Services to manage our subsidiaries’ LNG carriers.

Tsakos Energy Management has subcontracted all technical management of our LNG operations to Hyundai Ocean Services Co., Ltd (“HOS”) for a fee. Neither Tsakos Energy Management nor TCM has the dedicated personnel for running LNG operations nor can we guarantee that they will employ an adequate number of employees to conduct LNG operations in the future. As such, we are currently dependent on the reliability and effectiveness of third-party managers for whom we cannot guarantee that their employees, both onshore and at-sea are sufficient in number or capability for their assigned role. We also cannot assure you that we will be able to continue to receive such services from HOS on a long-term basis on acceptable terms or at all.

Risks Related To Our Common and Preferred Shares

Future sales of our common shares could cause the market price of our common shares to decline.

Sales of a substantial number of our common shares in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, may depress the market price for our common shares. These sales could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our equity securities in the future. We may issue additional common shares in the future, including upon conversion of our outstanding Series G Convertible Preferred Shares, which, as of April 21, 2022, are convertible into an aggregate of 306,191 of our common shares, and our shareholders may elect to sell large numbers of shares held by them from time to time.

The market price of our common shares and preferred shares may be unpredictable and volatile.

The market price of our common shares and Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares may fluctuate due to factors such as actual or anticipated fluctuations in our quarterly and annual results and those of other public companies in our industry, mergers and strategic alliances in the tanker industry, market conditions in the tanker industry, changes in government regulation, shortfalls in our operating results from levels forecast by securities analysts, announcements concerning us or our competitors, our sales of our common shares or of additional preferred shares, changes in prevailing interest rates and the general state of the securities market. The tanker industry has been highly unpredictable and volatile. The market for common stock and preferred stock in this industry may be equally volatile. Therefore, we cannot assure you that you will be able to sell any of our common shares and preferred shares you may have purchased, or will purchase in the future, at a price greater than or equal to the original purchase price.

If the market price of our common shares again falls below $5.00 per share, under stock exchange rules, our shareholders will not be able to use such shares as collateral for borrowing in margin accounts. This inability to use common shares as collateral may depress demand and certain institutional investors are restricted from investing in or holding shares priced below $5.00, which could lead to sales of such shares creating further downward pressure on and increased volatility in the market price of our common shares.

We may not be able to pay cash dividends on our common shares or preferred shares as intended if market conditions change.

During 2021, we paid dividends on our common shares totaling $0.10 per common share, or $2.0 million. In addition, during 2021, the Company paid dividends on preferred shares totaling $34.3 million. Subject to the limitations discussed below, we currently intend to continue to pay cash dividends on our common shares and preferred shares. However, there can be no assurance that we will pay dividends or as to the amount of any dividend. The payment and the amount will be subject to the discretion of our board of directors and will depend, among other things, on restrictions contained in the Companies Act of 1981 of Bermuda, as amended, on our available cash balances, anticipated cash needs, our results of operations, our financial condition, and any loan agreement restrictions binding us or our subsidiaries, including a prohibition of dividend distribution should there be an event of default in existence relating to any loan, as well as other relevant factors. In addition, dividends on our common shares are subject to the priority of our dividend obligations relating to our Series D, Series E and Series F Preferred Shares and Series G Convertible Preferred Shares. We may have insufficient cash to pay dividends on or redeem our preferred shares or pay dividends on our common shares. Depending on our operating performance for a particular year, this could result in no dividend at all despite the existence of net income, or a dividend that represents a lower percentage of our net income.

Because we are a holding company with no material assets other than the stock of our subsidiaries, our ability to pay dividends will depend on the earnings and cash flow of our subsidiaries and their ability to pay us dividends. In addition, the financing arrangements for indebtedness we incur in connection with our newbuilding program may further restrict our ability to pay dividends. In the event of any insolvency, bankruptcy or similar proceedings of a subsidiary, creditors of, and holders of preferred shares issued by, such subsidiary would generally be entitled to priority over us with respect to assets of the affected subsidiary. Investors in our common shares and preferred shares may be adversely affected if we are unable to or do not pay dividends as intended.

Market interest rates may adversely affect the value of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares.

One of the factors that influences the price of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares is the dividend yield on these preferred shares (as a percentage of the price thereof) relative to market interest rates. An increase in market interest rates, which are currently at low levels relative to historical rates and have recently been increasing, may lead to lower prices for our shares when valued using their dividend yields. Higher interest rates would likely increase our borrowing costs and potentially decrease funds available for dividends. Accordingly, higher interest rates could cause the market prices of our preferred shares to decrease.

Our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares represent perpetual equity interests and holders of such shares will have no right to receive any greater payment than the liquidation preference regardless of the circumstances.

The preferred shares represent perpetual equity interests in us and, unlike our indebtedness, will not give rise to a claim for payment of a principal amount at a particular date. As a result, holders of the preferred shares may be required to bear the financial risks of an investment in the preferred shares for an indefinite period of time.

The payment due to a holder of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares upon a liquidation is fixed at the redemption preference of $25.00 per share plus accumulated and unpaid dividends to the date of liquidation. If, in the case of our liquidation, there are remaining assets to be distributed after payment of this amount, you will have no right to receive or to participate in these amounts. Furthermore, if the market price for your preferred stock is greater than the liquidation preference, you will have no right to receive the market price from us upon our liquidation.

Holders of our Preferred Shares have extremely limited voting rights.

The voting rights of holders of our preferred shares are extremely limited. Our common shares are the only class or series of our shares carrying full voting rights. The voting rights of holders of our Series D Preferred Shares, Series E Preferred Shares and Series F Preferred Shares are limited to the ability, subject to certain exceptions, to elect, voting together as a class with all other classes or series of parity securities upon which like voting rights have been conferred and are exercisable, one director if dividends for six quarterly dividend periods (whether or not consecutive) payable thereon are in arrears and certain other limited protective voting rights described in “Item 10. Additional Information—Description of Share Capital—Preferred Shares.”

Provisions in our Bye-laws and our management agreement with Tsakos Energy Management would make it difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if such a transaction is beneficial to our shareholders.

Our Bye-laws provide for a staggered board of directors, blank check preferred stock, super majority voting requirements and other anti-takeover provisions, including restrictions on business combinations with interested persons and limitations on the voting rights of shareholders who acquire more than 15% of our common shares. In addition, Tsakos Energy Management would have the right to terminate our management agreement and seek liquidated damages if a board member were elected without having been approved by the current board. These provisions could deter a third party from tendering for the purchase of some or all our shares. These provisions may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes of control of the ownership and management of our company.

Because we are a foreign corporation, you may not have the same rights as a shareholder in a U.S. corporation.

We are a Bermuda company. Our Memorandum of Association and Bye-laws and the Companies Act govern our affairs. While many provisions of the Companies Act resemble provisions of the corporation laws of several states in the United States, Bermuda law may not as clearly establish your rights and the fiduciary responsibilities of our directors as do statutes and judicial precedent in some U.S. jurisdictions. In addition, apart from two non-executive directors, our directors and officers are not resident in the United States and all or substantially all of our assets are located outside of the United States. As a result, investors may have more difficulty in protecting their interests and enforcing judgments in the face of actions by our management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a U.S. jurisdiction.

In addition, you should not assume that courts in the country in which we are incorporated or where our assets are located would enforce judgments of U.S. courts obtained in actions against us based upon the civil liability provisions of applicable U.S. federal and state securities laws or would enforce, in original actions, liabilities against us based on those laws.

We are a “foreign private issuer” under NYSE rules, and as such we are entitled to exemption from certain NYSE corporate governance standards, and you may not have the same protections afforded to shareholders of companies that are subject to all of the NYSE corporate governance requirements.

We are a “foreign private issuer” under the securities laws of the United States and the rules of the NYSE. Under the securities laws of the United States, “foreign private issuers” are subject to different disclosure requirements than U.S. domiciled registrants, as well as different financial reporting requirements. Under the NYSE rules, a “foreign private issuer” is subject to less stringent corporate governance requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the rules of the NYSE permit a “foreign private issuer” to follow its home country practice in lieu of the listing requirements of the NYSE, including (i) the requirement that a majority of the board of directors consist of independent directors, (ii) the requirement that the nominating/corporate governance committees be composed entirely of independent directors and have a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities, (iii) the requirement that the compensation committee be composed entirely of independent directors and have a written charter addressing the committee’s purpose and responsibilities, and (iv) the requirement of an annual performance evaluation of the nominating/corporate governance and compensation committees.

Nonetheless, a majority of our directors are independent, all of the members of our compensation, nominating and corporate governance committee are independent directors, and all of our board committees have written charters addressing their respective purposes and responsibilities. We currently have an audit committee composed solely of two independent committee members, whereas a domestic U.S. public company would be required to have three such independent members.

Tax Risks

In addition to the following risk factors, you should read “Item 10. Additional Information—Tax Considerations” for a more complete discussion of the material Bermuda and U.S. Federal income tax considerations relating to us and the ownership and disposition of our common shares and preferred shares.

If we were to be subject to corporate income tax in jurisdictions in which we operate, our financial results would be adversely affected.

Under current Bermuda law, there is no income, corporate or profits tax or withholding tax, capital gains tax or capital transfer tax, estate or inheritance tax payable by us or our shareholders, other than shareholders ordinarily resident in Bermuda, if any. We have received from the Minister of Finance under The Exempted Undertaking Tax Protection Act 1966, as amended of Bermuda, an assurance that, in the event that Bermuda enacts legislation imposing tax computed on profits, income, any capital asset, gain or appreciation, or any tax in the nature of estate duty or inheritance, then the imposition of any such tax shall not be applicable to us or to any of our operations or shares, debentures or other obligations, until March 23, 2035. We believe that we should not be subject to tax under the laws of various countries, other than the United States, in which our subsidiaries’ vessels conduct activities or in which our subsidiaries’ customers are located. However, our belief is based on our understanding of the tax laws of those countries, and our tax position is subject to review and possible challenge by taxing authorities and to possible changes in law or interpretation. We cannot determine in advance the extent to which certain jurisdictions may require us to pay corporate income tax or to make payments in lieu of such tax. In addition, payments due to us from our subsidiaries’ customers may be subject to tax claims. As a result of the continuing economic recovery in Greece, our operations in Greece may be subjected to new regulations that may require us to incur new or additional compliance or other administrative costs, which may include requirements that we pay to the Greek government new taxes or other fees. In addition, China has enacted a new tax for non-resident international transportation enterprises engaged in the provision of services of passengers or cargo, among other items, in and out of China using their own, chartered or leased vessels, including any stevedore, warehousing and other services connected with the transportation. The new regulation broadens the range of international transportation companies which may find themselves liable for Chinese enterprise income tax on profits generated from international transportation services passing through Chinese ports.

If we or our subsidiaries are not entitled to exemption under Section 883 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, for any taxable year, we or our subsidiaries could be subject for those years up to a 4% United States federal income tax on our gross U.S.-source shipping revenue, without allowance for deductions, under Section 887 of the Internal Revenue Code. The imposition of such tax could have a negative effect on our business and would result in decreased earnings and cash flows available for distribution to our shareholders.

See “Item 10. Additional Information—Tax Considerations—United States federal income tax considerations” for additional information about the requirements of this exemption.

If we were treated as a passive foreign investment company, a U.S. investor in our shares would be subject to disadvantageous rules under the U.S. tax laws.

If we were treated as a passive foreign investment company (a “PFIC”) in any year, our U.S. shareholders would be subject to unfavorable U.S. federal income tax treatment. We do not believe that we were a PFIC in 2021 or that we will be a PFIC with respect to the current or any future year. However, PFIC classification is a factual determination made annually and we could become a PFIC if the portion of our income derived from bareboat charters or other passive sources were to increase substantially or if the portion of our assets that produce or are held for the production of passive income were to increase substantially. Moreover, the IRS may disagree with our position that time and voyage charters do not give rise to passive income for purposes of the PFIC rules. Accordingly, we can provide no assurance that we will not be treated as a PFIC for 2021 or for any future year. Please see “Item 10. Additional Information— Tax Considerations—United States federal income tax considerations—Passive Foreign Investment Company Considerations” herein for a description of the PFIC rules.

Distributions on shares of non-U.S. companies that are treated as dividends for U.S. federal income tax purposes and are received by individuals generally will be eligible for taxation at capital gain rates if the shares with respect to which the dividends are paid are readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. This treatment will not be available to dividends we pay, however, if we qualify as a PFIC for the taxable year of the dividend or the preceding taxable year, or to the extent that (i) the shareholder does not satisfy a holding period requirement that generally requires that the shareholder hold the shares on which the dividend is paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins 60 days before the date on which the shares become ex-dividend with respect to such dividend, (ii) the shareholder is under an obligation to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property or (iii) such dividend is taken into account as investment income under Section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code. We do not believe that we qualified as a PFIC for our last taxable year and, as described above, we do not expect to qualify as a PFIC for our current or future taxable years. 

Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited is a leading provider of international seaborne crude oil and petroleum product transportation services. In 2007, it also started to transport liquefied natural gas. It was incorporated in 1993 as an exempted company under the laws of Bermuda under the name Maritime Investment Fund Limited and in 1996 was renamed MIF Limited. Our common shares were listed in 1993 on the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE) and the Bermuda Stock Exchange, although we de-listed from the OSE in March 2005 due to limited trading. The Company’s shares are no longer actively traded on the Bermuda exchange. In July 2001, the Company’s name was changed to Tsakos Energy Navigation Limited to enhance our brand recognition in the tanker industry, particularly among charterers. In March 2002, we completed an initial public offering of our common shares in the United States and our common shares began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TNP.” Since incorporation, the Company has owned and operated 101 vessels and has sold 43 vessels (of which eight had been chartered back and three of these eventually repurchased at the end of their charters; all three have since been sold again).

Our principal offices are located at 367 Syngrou Avenue, 175 64 P. Faliro, Athens, Greece. Our telephone number at this address is +30 210 9407710. Our website address is http://www.tenn.gr.

For additional information on the Company, see “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects.”

Business Overview

As of April 21, 2022, we operated a fleet of 60 modern crude oil and petroleum product tankers (including seven vessels chartered-in) that provide world-wide marine transportation services for national, major and other independent oil companies and refiners under long, medium and short-term charters. Our fleet also includes three LNG carriers (including one chartered-in vessel) and three suezmax shuttle tankers with advanced dynamic positioning technology (DP2), bringing our total operating fleet to 66 vessels representing approximately 7.3 million dwt.

We believe that we have established a reputation as a safe, high-quality, cost-efficient operator of modern and well-maintained tankers. We also believe that these attributes, together with our strategy of proactively working towards meeting our customers’ chartering needs, has contributed to our ability to attract world-class energy producers as customers and to our success in obtaining charter renewals generating strong fleet utilization.

Our fleet is managed by Tsakos Energy Management, a company owned by our chief executive officer. Tsakos Energy Management provides us with strategic advisory, financial, accounting, and administrative services, while subcontracting the commercial management of our business to Tsakos Shipping. In its capacity as commercial manager, Tsakos Shipping provides various services for our vessels, including charterer relations, obtaining insurance and vessel sale and purchase, supervising newbuilding construction and vessel financing. Tsakos Energy Management subcontracts the technical and operational management of our fleet to Tsakos Columbia Management (“TCM”). TCM was formed in February 2010 by Tsakos family interests and a German private company, the owner of the ship management company Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd., or CSM, as a joint-venture ship management company on an equal partnership basis to provide technical and operational management services to owners of vessels, primarily within the Greek-based market. TCM, which formally commenced operations on July 1, 2010, now manages the technical and operational activities of all of our operating vessels apart from the LNG carriers Neo Energy, Maria Energy, Tenergy, the VLCCs Ulysses and Hercules I, the suezmax tanker Eurochampion 2004, the handymax tankers Afrodite and Ariadne and the aframax tankers Maria Princess, Sapporo Princess and Ise Princess which are technically managed by non-affiliated ship managers. TCM is based in Athens, Greece. TCM and CSM cooperate in the purchase of certain supplies and services on a combined basis. By leveraging the purchasing power of CSM, which currently provides full technical management services for 311 vessels and crewing services for an additional 65 vessels, we believe TCM is able to procure services and supplies at lower prices than Tsakos Shipping could alone, thereby reducing overall operating expenses for us. In its capacity as technical manager, TCM manages our day-to-day vessel operations, including provision of supplies, maintenance and repair, and crewing. Members of the Tsakos family are involved in the decision-making processes of Tsakos Energy Management, Tsakos Shipping and TCM.

As of April 21, 2022, our operational fleet consisted of the following 66 vessels:

Twenty-five of the operating vessels are of ice-class specification. This fleet diversity, which includes several sister ships, provides us with the capability to be one of the more versatile operators in the market. The current operating fleet totals 7.3 million dwt, all of which are double-hulled. As of April 21, 2022, the average age of the tankers in our current operating fleet was 10.4 years, compared with the industry average of 11.9 years.

We believe the following factors distinguish us from other public tanker companies:

 As of April 21, 2022, our fleet consisted of the following 66 vessels: