NASSCO Delivers First ECO Class Tanker for SEA-Vista

On Thursday, April 28, 2016, General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the first ship in a series of three ECO Class tankers currently under construction for SEA-Vista LLC.

The newly-built Independence is a 610-foot, 50,000 deadweight-ton, LNG-conversion-ready product tanker with a 330,000 barrel capacity.

Designed by DSEC—a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of Busan, South Korea—the ship design incorporates improved fuel efficiency concepts through several features, including a G-series MAN Diesel & Turbo ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The ship includes a Ballast Water Treatment System and is also designed to accommodate future installation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel-gas system.

The construction and operation of the Independence and its sister ships are aligned with the Jones Act, which requires that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.