TURKISH-BUILT TANKER SERIES FOR CANADA

Constructed to Polar 7 ice class by Besiktas Shipyard at Yalova, on the Sea of Marmara, the 15,000dwt oil/chemical products carrier Rossi A.Desgagnes is suited to trade throughout the Great Lakes-St Lawrence Seaway system, Canadian Arctic and North American eastern seaboard and is expected in Canada during mid-June.

The lead ship from Besiktas, the 2017-commissioned Damia Desgagnes, offers the flexibility to transport asphalt and bitumen as well as petroleum products and IMO Type 2 chemicals. Employing a similar hull envelope and the same type of dual-fuel propulsion machinery, the subsequent three vessels are laid out purely as Type 2 oil/chemical tankers. The Mia Desgagnes was completed at Yalova in 2017, followed last October by the Paul A. Desgagnes, and with the third-of-class and fourth-in-series Rossi A. Desgagnes now joining the fleet.

Having finalised the purchase last month of the 18,200dwt, one year-old Fure Vinga, renamed Gaia Desgagnes, the Canadian company counts five LNG dual-fuel tankers within its diversified fleet. Desgagnes is unequivocal as to the benefits of the powering option, stating that “LNG offers undeniable advantages allowing, among other things, a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and reduction of particle emissions to practically zero”. Operation in gas mode ensures compliance with Emission Control Area (ECA) limits applicable in North American waters.

Rossi A.Desgagnes represents an investment exceeding C$50 million (US$37.2m), of which almost C$9 million (US$6.7m) is attributable to the LNG dual-fuel powering arrangements. The project has been supported by the Quebec Transport Ministry under the terms of its PETMAF initiative to foster improved transportation efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The scheme provides C$1,000 (US$744) per tonne of reduced or avoided GHG emissions, up to a maximum funding allocation of C$3 million (US$2.2m).

The propulsion plant is a five-cylinder model of the RT-flex50DF type, developed by Wartsila and now part of the two-stroke portfolio of Winterthur Gas & Diesel (WinGD), and rated in the Desgagnes application for maximum output of 5,450kW at 110rpm. The engine allows the use of LNG, marine diesel oil (MDO) or heavy fuel oil (HFO). LNG fuel storage is provided in two 300m3-plus Type C tanks mounted on the main deck aft.

Drive is to a four-bladed, variable pitch propeller, with a 1,450kW alternator interposed on the shaftline and capable of serving in PTI (power take-in) mode as an electrical motor, energised by the ship’s three gensets. To ensure the requisite manoeuvrability in space-restricted channels and at tight berths, the vessel is equipped with a 750kW bow thruster and 550kW stern thruster.

The cargo section of the Rossi A. Desgagnes is divided into 12 cargo tanks supplemented by two slop tanks, amounting to a total capacity of about 17,470m3. The maximum loading rate is 400m3/h for each tank, while the maximum discharge throughput using six pumps is 1,800m3/h.

The array of Bureau Veritas class notations assigned to the new oil/chemical product carriers includes CleanShip Super and Green Passport, denoting the adoption of a range of technical solutions to meet strict environmental and procedural standards.

Meanwhile, the newly-acquired Gaia Desgagnes has become the fifth LNG-powered tanker in the fleet. The vessel was completed just over a year ago at the AVIC Dingheng yard in China as the Fure Vinga, to the order of the Swedish company Furetank Rederi. Designed for IMO Type 2 and 3 chemicals in addition to oil products, strengthened to Finnish/Swedish 1A ice class criteria, and engineered for both IMO Tier III NOx and sulphur emission control area(SECA) conformity, she is especially well suited to Desgagnes’ trading needs.

Fure Vinga was the first of six sister vessels booked from AVIC Dingheng by the Swedish partners in theGothia Tanker Alliance. Furetank has now ordered a further such newbuild at the yard.

Groupe Desgagnes puts its overall investment in the Rossi A.Desgagnes and Gaia Desgagnes at more than C$$100 million(US$74.3m).

PRINCIPAL PARTICULARS

Oil/chemical products tanker Rossi A.Desgagnes