Greek shipowner Aegean Shipping Management has entered into a pact with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Yangzhou for the construction of two LR2 ice-class tankers, each boasting a carrying capacity of 114,000 deadweight tons (dwt).
The contract brings the total number of vessels constructed at COSCO berths for the company to 14.
Namely, with this new agreement, Aegean Shipping will see a total of eight tankers and six bulk carriers constructed at COSCO yards.
The shipbuilding major said that the shipping group of Greek interests is now the largest customer of COSCO’s shipbuilding sector, in terms of the number of ships in Europe.
Venturing into uncharted territory, Aegean Shipping will witness the construction of LR2 type tankers with an ice class designation for the first time.
The newbuilds will be constructed in compliance with the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) – Phase III.
They will be equipped with the latest MAN B&W electric motors for optimal fuel consumption, and incorporate energy-saving features such as Pre-shrouded Vanes (PSV) and Hub Vortex Absorber Fins (HVAF). Additional energy efficiency measures include LED lighting and frequency converters in each seawater pump in the engine room. The ships will also be equipped with marine ballast treatment systems.
Aegean has been working on the development of its ‘green fleet’ for a while now, choosing ‘green’ shipyards for its newbuilds which are using new technologies and manufacturing processes as well as materials that can be reused and recycled.
Earlier this year, the company took delivery of M/T Green Anax , a 114,000 dwt newbuild Aframax tanker- The vessel is the final newbuild out of its contract for two +two 114,000 dwt tankers with Chinese shipbuilder COSCO Heavy Industries (Yangzhou).
The vessels are fitted with numerous fuel efficiency technologies enabling them to consume 30% less fuel oil when compared to older ships, Aegean said on its website. These include saver fins on the ships’ hulls, asymmetric rudder bulbs, as well as ECO hull lines that reduce form drag enabling vessels to sail smoother with less resistance.
Aegean currently has nine tankers and six bulker carriers in its fleet.