Canadian shipping company Desgagnés Group has taken delivery of the M/T Damia Desgagnés, the first dual-fuel powered Canadian-flagged tanker and the first-ever asphalt carrier of this type.
This asphalt-bitumen-chemical tanker is the first in a series of four carriers, custom-built according to an original concept developed by Desgagnés and ordered at the Besiktas Shipyard in Yalova near Istanbul, Turkey.
The M/T Damia Desgagnés is scheduled to weigh anchor around April 10. She will most likely make a first delivery in Europe before heading to North America, where she should arrive mid-May, all subject to the cargo that she will carry.
The Damia Desgagnés is double-hulled and equipped with a Wärtsila 5RT-flex 50DF engine developing a power output of 5,450 kW.The vessel can be powered by any of three types of fuel, namely heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG).
With a deadweight of around 15,000 tons, her tanks offer a carrying capacity of 14,950 m3 when filled at 98%. She can carry over 13,500 tons of asphalt at a draft of 7.8 meters in seawater. The Damia Desgagnés also holds a Polar 7 certification and is equipped with a variable pitch propeller, a 750 kW bow thruster, a 550 kW stern thruster and a dynamic positioning system.
LNG refueling distribution networks for vessels without specific service points and trading various routes remain a major challenge, but they are under development in collaboration with different partners such as Gaz Métro and the ports of Quebec and Montreal, the company said. Desgagnés will continue working with the various suppliers to improve and adapt their services to the needs of the marine industry.
“LNG has a bright future in maritime transportation and Desgagnés will actively contribute to broadening its use,” said Louis-Marie Beaulieu, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Desgagnés.