Athenian Sea Carriers, a Greek shipping company, has exercised options for the construction of four eco-chemical tankers at the Chinese shipbuilding company Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group.
These vessels, with a deadweight of 18,500 tons (dwt), are set to meet the highest environmental standards, boasting NOx-Tier III compliance, EEDI Phase 3 certification, and readiness for both LNG and methanol fuels.
Data from Intermodal indicates that the company will be paying around $30 million per ship. All four units are slated for delivery in 2025.
The tankers will be designed to incorporate the relevant fuel and piping infrastructure that will enable the owner to convert the ships to run on LNG and/or methanol at a later stage, allowing for fuel flexibility in the future.
Another noteworthy feature of these tankers is their compliance with NOx-Tier III regulations, aimed at curbing nitrogen oxide emissions, ensuring cleaner air, and reducing the impact on the environment.
Moreover, the vessels will be certified under the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEDI) Phase 3, ensuring that the ships’ energy efficiency and environmental performance are well above industry standards.
The company already has four small chemical tankers under construction at Wuchang Shipbuilding which are slated for delivery in 2025.
The company sold one of its 2013-built VLCCs, Athenian Freedom to China’s Fujian Shipping Group, leaving its fleet with two live vessels. These include 2013-built VLCCs: Athenian Freedom and Captain X Kyriakou.