New German LPG series nears completion

Four of the 99.9m loa, 17.4m wide, Tiger class tankers – JS Caesar, JS Chukar, JS Alular and JS Jaguar – have already been delivered for service with Hartmann subsidiary GasChem Services in Hamburg. The remaining two 4,900dwt, fully-pressurised ships – JS Lekvar and JS Ocular – are being finished off for delivery in January by the Chinese shipyard group Sinopacific Shipbuilding.

The newbuilds are reportedly the first gas carriers entirely designed and built by that group. Reports said the yard had taken orders for 18 of the type.

They are powered by 3,000kW MAN 6L32 main engines providing 14 knots and carry three auxiliaries of 425kW – two for port and one for emergency use – and a 400kW shaft generator and a 250kW bow thruster. They have two cargo tanks, for maximum 1,788m³ and 3,221m³, fly the Singapore flag and carry crews of 16.

The ships are billed as vessels on which safety, environmental concern and efficiency have been given particular priority. Their development is said to have been in close co-operation with customers and key design features include EEDI phase 3-2025 compliance, sea water species protection through ballast water treatment plant, fuel savings of up to 18%, reduced CO2, SOx and NOx emissions, and optimised design for full tradability and operational efficiency.

Hartmann, which is based in Leer on the River Ems, is the second German shipping company to announce expansion of its gas fleet of late.

Sloman Neptun, with 16 gas tankers of between 3,000m³ and 10,000m³ in service or on order, took delivery in October of the 6,800m³ Rhogas from STX in South Korea. That 113m loa, 19.2m wide ethylene newbuild is being followed by a sister Zetagas for delivery in early 2013.