Sweden’s Erik Thun has developed a new series of eco product tankers fitted with battery packs.
The Thun Tankers unit has placed an order for two 7,999-dwt R-Class vessels at the Ferus Smit shipyard in the Netherlands.
The tankers build on earlier designs to focus on resource efficiency, environmental responsibility and logistical reliability, the shipowner said.
The Kallsson family-owned company said delivery will take place in the first half of 2024.
No price has been revealed for the ships.
Ferus Smit has previously built 40 vessels for Erik Thun.
The latest newbuildings will enter Sweden’s Gothia Tanker Alliance network and be technically managed by MF Shipping Group.
Thun said the tankers have “adaptive propulsion” to minimise energy usage, featuring an uninterruptable power supply battery pack, the latest hull design and the newest and most resource-efficient machinery.
“Our concept has always been to build and operate ships with a focus on environment, sustainability and energy efficiency. We did this long before these matters made it to the global agenda,” said managing director Johan Kallsson.
“Continual improvement is our objective and these ordered vessels are good examples of that. Being in the shipping industry, we believe we can actually make a difference in the global perspective by being responsible and do our part,” he added.
Intense trading
Deputy managing director Henrik Kallsson explained that the newbuildings will be reliable and easy to operate.
“In the intense coastal trade that these vessels will operate, it is important to build a quality ship that functions well over its entire lifespan,” he said.
In March, the company ordered another in a series of Chinese-built tankers running on LNG and liquid biogas (LBG).
The 17,999-dwt Vinga-class product carrier is the tenth contracted by members of the Gothia Tanker Alliance platform.
Ship number nine was ordered by partner Furetank in January.
All of these tankers are being constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou.
