A VLCC owned by John Fredriksen’s Ship Finance International and operated by Frontline has suffered an engineroom fire.
A turbo charger failure onboard the 298,000-dwt Front Hakata (built 2002) sparked the fire on the tanker in Japan this weekend, a statement said.
“The crew initiated emergency response procedures, shutting down fuel and ventilation systems and sealing the room,” it explained.
The fire is now out, and no pollution or injuries have been reported following the incident.
The tanker is currently seven miles off the Japanese coast and drifting away from the shore.
According to the statement, the ship is “stable” with backup power and there is no immediate danger.
A fire-fighting team from the Japanese coast guard confirmed the engine room was safe and stable.
“A team has now re-entered the engine room and work is ongoing to restore full power and propulsion to the vessel which was on voyage from the middle east to Chiba, Japan, when the incident occurred,” the statement said.
The ship is one of the few remaining veteran VLCCs owned by Ship Finance against a time charter to Frontline.
Frontline said earlier this year it was reviewing options for the eight VLCCs built between 2001 and 2004 given the difficult market.
Three have since been sold to ADS Crude Carriers, in which Ship Finance is a shareholder, and will be fitted with scrubbers as part of the company’s asset play project.
