The worlds first chemical tanker to use a combination of duplex stainless steel and stainless clad steel in the construction of its cargo tanks was successfully delivered to Oita-based Hiro Naviera S.A.
The 12,500 MT chemical tanker named Sunrise Hope will be operated by Nippon Marine Co., Ltd. The eco-ship design vessel is equipped with 14 cargo tanks, all which use duplex stainless steel technology.
Construction of the vessel was carried out in accordance with ClassNKs Guidelines on Welding of Duplex Stainless Steels, which were released this past January 2014. Duplex stainless steel provides not only significantly greater strength and excellent corrosive resistance in comparison with the commonly used austenitic stainless steel SUS316LN, but its low nickel composition also makes it economical.
Although duplex stainless steel technology has been used previously in shipbuilding internationally, this marks the first time in the world that a combination of both duplex and stainless clad steels have been used in the construction of a chemical tankers cargo tanks. It is also the first time that duplex stainless steels have been used in a Japanese shipyard, while the lean duplex stainless steel which contains lower nickel compared to duplex stainless steel have been used in some cases.