Germany’s shipping company TB Marine and its Swedish counterpart Ektank have concluded shipbuilding contracts for four methanol-ready 22,000 dwt chemical tankers.
The order was unveiled by IceChem Tankers, a Denmark-based pool management services provider founded in 2018.
No details on the shipbuilding yard have been disclosed.
Marine Line coated and featuring Swedish/Finnish 1A ice class, the newbuilds are specifically designed for optimal efficiency in IceChem Tankers’ core trades in the North Atlantic basin.
The first ship is slated for delivery in the fall of 2026. The deliveries will then follow every three months, with the final ship joining the fleet in the summer of 2027.
Measuring 159.5 meters in length and 23 meters in width, the ships are designed to be “highly fuel efficient” demonstrating the lowest possible GHG emission impact of any conventional ships, as per the pool manager.
Furthermore, they are ready to use green methanol as a fuel when it is available in a viable bunkering network.
“We are also very excited to bring these chemical tankers to market, enabling IceChem Tankers to offer the highest cargo intake into and out of the Great Lakes – a core trade of IceChem Tankers. Improved economy of scale will be achievable for our customers who can utilize up to as much as 15,000 mts cargo intake on Seaway draft,” IceChem Tankers said.
In other news, IceChem Tankers recently added two new 19,700 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers to its fleet. The ships in question are MH Future and MH Shogun and are said to have low carbon emission footprints.