The Russian state-owned shipping company Sovcomflot has placed an order for the construction of four 114,000 dwt Ice-Class IA Aframax tankers at South Korean yard Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI).
Featuring 250 meters in length, 44 meters in width and 21 meters in height, the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled Aframax tankers are scheduled to be delivered from the third quarter of 2018.
The vessels, which will be built under a USD 240 million deal, are scheduled to be chartered to the oil and gas giant Shell.
A Shell spokesperson earlier confirmed to World Maritime News “that Shell and SCF Group are working on a marine LNG fuel supply arrangement.”
By running on LNG, the Ice-Class IA tankers can emit 90% less SOx, 80% less NOx, 15% less CO2 along with 50% reduced engine noise, according to the shipbuilder.
“We believe the winning of the world’s first LNG-fueled aframax tankers is the proof of our world’s leading eco-friendly shipbuilding technology. As the demand for eco-ships increases with tightening environmental regulations, we will further accelerate our efforts to win eco-ship orders,” an HSHI official said.