Maersk Tankers order 4 VLCCs

Maersk Tankers announced that an agreement has been signed with the STX Shipbuilding Company, Ltd. in Korea, for the delivery of 4 VLCCs (Very Large Crude Carriers) in 2011-2012.

we are very pleased with this order. The vessels are an important part of our strategy to grow our presence in the VLCC segment. With the order we will reach a fleet of 18 VLCCs by 2013, and this clearly demonstrates our commitment to the VLCC market,?said Kristian V. MΦrch, Group Senior Vice President of A.P. Moller Maersk.

The vessels will have a waste heat recovery system installed to generate electricity from the heat in the exhaust from the mainengine. In this way excess heat is put to use replacing power generation for things such as vessel accommodations that otherwise would have been produced by fuel driven diesel generators.

The expected fuel savings fromuse of this technology is around 5%. In addition to the waste heat recovery system the vessels will also have the latest generation of electronic diesel engines, enabling more efficient fuel consumption at varying speeds (more than 1% fuel consumption reduction). These technical upgrades are a part of continued efforts to pursue eco-efficiency with both economic and environmental benefits.

Maersk Tankers operates one of the largest, most modern and most diversified tanker fleets in the world with more than 170 vessels including owned, time-chartered and partnership vessels. The tanker fleet is exclusively double hulled to meet the latest industry standards and demands.

The Maersk Tankers order book now stands at 57 vessels including own and long term chartered tonnage, and with this latest order Maersk Tankers has again proved to be on the forefront when it comes to fleet renewal programmes. <Korea Shipping Gazette>