AET Names Dual Fuel Shuttle Tankers for North Sea Ops

Tanker owner and operator AET has unveiled its newest vessel duo as it named what it said were two of the world’s first LNG dual-fuel dynamic positioning shuttle tankers (DPSTs).

Named at the Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) Geoje Shipyard in South Korea, Eagle Blane and Eagle Balder are twin-skeg 123,100 dwt shuttle tankers.

They will serve Norwegian energy company Equinor on long-term charter for operations both in oilfields on the Norwegian Continental Shelf of the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and the southern Barents Sea, as well as on the UK Continental Shelf.

According to AET, the ships will emit 40-48% less carbon than equivalent vessels built in 2008, meeting the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target of reducing carbon (CO2) emissions by 40% against 2008 baselines by 2030.

Powered using liquified natural gas (LNG) as primary fuel, the LNG DPSTs will also be able to capture 100% of the harmful volatile organic compounds which escape into the air from crude oil cargoes during loading and voyage for reuse as a supplementary fuel.

The vessels have been constructed by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), for AET Sea Shuttle AS (AETSS), a joint venture between Norwegian shipping company ADS Shipping and AET Tankers headquartered in Singapore, as the owner and commercial operator of the vessels.

Project management for the newbuilds was provided by MISC Group’s marine services arm Eaglestar and Norwegian third-party ship management company, OSM Maritime.