Deadweight Product News

Thun Tankers, part of the Swedish shipping company Erik Thun Group, said it ordered a second 4,250-deadweight product tanker from Dutch shipbuilder Scheepswerf Ferus Smit, sceduled for delivery in May 2022.The newbuild, together with its previously ordered sister ship due in November this year, will be operated under long-term charter with U.K.-based Geos Group.Both 79.9-meter vessels will be built with NAABSA design (Not Always Afloat But Safely Aground), meaning they'll be able to call tidal restricted niche ports.

The Swedish tanker operator Thun Tankers takes delivery of first L-Class and second E-Class on the same day. Both vessels will enter the Gothia Tanker Alliance network.On May 9th, Thun Tankers took delivery of the 18,650 deadweight product tanker “Thun Lidkoping”. This L-Class vessel is the first in a series of five resource efficient, high quality tankers built by Avic Dingheng Shipbuilding Ltd in China.On the same day, the 8,000 deadweight “Thun Evolve” was delivered to Thun Tankers by Ferus Smit BV in the Netherlands. The dual fuelled vessel, that will use natural gas or biogas as fuel, is the second in a series of four ordered E-Class tankers.

Nor is it getting any easier to understand when, how and why to comply. Whether your marine operation is a major corporation or a family “mom and pop” company, the type of fuel you now burn or for that matter what emanates from your stack each day after the burn has now become a major source of confusion. As Kermit the Frog once said, we will now know what its like to be green. Some believe the discussion is a new subject. It is not. Those of us that work the oceans, rivers and sounds for a living always had a concern of how much fuel we burn and what the quality of that fuel was.

Arriving at the Farmer’s Market this morning I made the decision to grill some hand cut rib eye with fresh vegetables and potatoes later that evening. I searched several of the local farm kiosks to find the mix I wanted and then reached into my pocket to pay for my choices. The price for all this local fare is not competitive with Cosco or Walmart, but I know the vegetables are organically grown without chemicals and the local beef is grass fed. The price point may not be right but the effort supports local business and the farmers who work hard to provide us sustainable products and quality.

Singapore-listed Otto Marine has announced that its offshore shipyard has branched out to secure three new shipbuilding contracts worth $23m in total. New contracts came along with Group's efforts in diversifying and expanding product portfolio in a weak market. An Indonesian firm has ordered a 6,500 LTDW (Long Tons Deadweight) product oil tanker, with cargo oil tank capacity of 8,300 cubic meters. Another Indonesian state-owned enterprise has entered into a contract for two units of 1,200 GT (Gross Tonnage) ferry. Chief executive Michael See said the vessels are scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2017, and expected to contribute positively to the group's financial performance for the financial years of 2016 and 2017.

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (APSI), the sole operating subsidiary of Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA (AKPS), began production activities today on the first of two Aframax tankers it will build for SeaRiver Maritime Inc. (SeaRiver), Exxon Mobil Corporation’s U.S. marine affiliate. When completed in 2014, the vessels will be 820 feet long and be capable of carrying 115,000 tons of crude oil. Since the shipbuilding contract was signed in September, 2011, engineering, planning, and procurement work have been underway. After a small ceremony in the shipyard’s Fabrication Shop, the cutting of the steel plates began. These plates will become part of the double hull of the tanker, which protects the cargo tanks.

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard ASA (Oslo: AKPS) announced that its sole operating subsidiary, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, Inc. (APSI), has signed a Letter of Intent with SeaRiver Maritime, Inc. (SeaRiver), Exxon Mobil Corporation’s U.S. marine affiliate, for the construction of two aframax tankers. The 820 foot long, 115,000 deadweight ton tankers are intended to be used to transport Alaskan North Slope crude oil from Prince William Sound to the U.S. West Coast. Project planning work is currently underway in conjunction with APSI’s technical partner, Samsung Heavy Industries. scheduled for delivery in 2014. The vessels will be equipped with double hull protection, the latest navigation and communications equipment, and energy efficient engines.

Broström has placed an order for the building of four 14,500 deadweight product- and chemicaltankers. The order secures Broström's position as being a significant transportation service provider to customers in the intra European trade of oil products. The vessels will be built by Jinling Shipyard, Nanjing, China and delivered in 2006 and 2007. Broström employs 37 tankers in European trade and transports more than 20 million tonnes of oil products per year. 18 of the ships are of intermediate size (10,000-20,000 dwt) and employed in North West Europe. Four of the ships of the latter segment were built in the late 80'ies and even if these ships can trade up to year 2014 according to EU's new rules Broström has decided to replace the ships by modern and more efficient tonnage.