Stolt Tankers B.V. has reached an agreement with Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. and China Shipbuilding Trading Co. Ltd for five 38,000 deadweight ton stainless steel parcel tankers. Deliveries are expected to take place from December 2015 onwards. Stolt Tankers B.V. is a subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen Limited.
The fuel efficiency ships are designed to provide operational flexibility with their fully stainless steel cargo tanks, cargo pumps, heating and cooling capacity. The ships are expected to consume significantly less fuel compared to existing parcel tankers due to a relatively shallow draft when fully loaded,
“This new generation of parcel tankers gives us both improved energy efficiency and the cargo handling flexibility that our contract of affreightment customers require,” said Chief Executive Officer of Stolt-Nielsen Limited, Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen. “The order represents approximately half of our required replacement tonnage through 2016, given Stolt Tankers’ present contract portfolio.”
The ships will have 43 stainless steel tanks with a total volume of 44,000 cubic meters. The parcel tankers will meet both Marpol Annex I and Annex II cargo requirements, complying with common structural rules for oil tankers.