GREECE – SOUTH KOREA – The key to responsible shipping and vessel operation these days is to ensure that liner owners invest in the latest technology making their ships as environmentally friendly as is feasible. In no vessel type is this more important than the tanker sector and the latest acquisition by Consolidated Marine Management of Piraeus, the King Gregory, the first of two medium-range IMO II & III-class oil/chemical tankers recently commissioned, certainly lives up to expectations as Kostas Vlachos, Consolidated’s Chief Operating Officer, explains:
“She is equipped with an electronic main engine, a larger diameter propeller, mewis duct and ship-performance monitoring -- transmitting data to the office, including but not limited to the monitoring of daily and specific fuel oil consumption and, hence, CO2 emissions, the trim of the ship, and other key data – to help ensure the optimum performance.”
Classed by Lloyd’s Register the tanker has latest environmental and efficiency features including a ballast water treatment system supplied by Ocean Saver, the first system to be installed in an MR type tanker with deep-well cargo pumps. The ship also complies with all Exxon Mobil 2010 mandatory requirements and others that are strongly recommended, including those for STS operations (for the ship to ship transfer of oil at sea) such as vapour-emission control systems, certified cranes for personnel transportation and oil-water separators certified for 5ppm.
It is estimated that the ship’s daily fuel consumption in the ballast condition with a speed 12.5 knots will not be more than 17.5 metric tons (MT), while the consumption in laden condition at a speed 13 knots will be less than 19.5 MT. On the technical side the owners say they have installed two of JRC’s modern electronic chart display and information systems, illustrating their determination to offer a highly competitive, environment friendly, safe and fully operational ship to the market.
King Gregory, hull no. 2345 is a 52,000 DWT vessel delivered by Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard and will immediately commence a three-year time charter with Cargill, with both owners and charterers expecting to realise considerable savings when compared with other ships in her class. Nikos Vaporis, Senior Specialist, Lloyd’s Register, Busan, enthused over the ships utilisation of the latest equipment and technology to cope with new environmental requirements and energy-saving demands, saying:
“Lloyd’s Register is proud to have worked with a client who is taking such a strong and clear lead in building and operating safe, efficient ships. Consolidated have also been certified to the ISO 50001 energy management standard. A well-designed, well-built ship and an effective energy-management strategy is a bound to be a winning combination.”
Photo: The Naming ceremony with Kostas Vlachos pictured third from the right.