Terntank orders new wind/methanol-ready hybrid tankers

November 30, 2022, by Ajsa Habibic

Swedish shipping company Terntank is continuing its journey towards fossil-free operation with an order for two plus two new wind assistance and methanol-ready tankers.

On 29 November, the company said it placed an order for the 15,000 dwt tankers at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Yangzhou.

The vessels are designed by Norwegian technology firm Kongsberg and will be delivered in spring 2025.

“With these methanol and wind assistance-ready vessels, we take a big step forward in our journey as the forerunner in environmentally efficient and safe shipping”, said Tryggve Möller of Terntank.

As disclosed, the vessels will be developed from the experience of the previous six AVIC SERIES vessels with additional innovative improvements to reduce environmental impacts.

In addition to the 40% of CO2 reductions we made on previous vessels, the wind assistance will further reduce the emissions by 8%, and with methanol’s low-carbon and potential in decarbonisation, we accelerate our pathway to net zero, the company explained.

The efficient design is expected to result in an EEDI between 16-40% below the 2025 Phase 3 requirements.

Together with methanol-powered engines and wind-assisted propulsion, the newbuilds will also feature a hybrid battery system and onshore power option.

The latest vessels equipped with Hybrid Solution – Tern Island and Tern Fors – have been in operation for a year and have been proving that the battery pack and shore-power connection technology works and plays a vital role to minimise pollution near populated areas such as ports.

“We believe that the installation of wind-assisted propulsion systems is one of the most promising contributory measures to reducing actual fuel consumption from shipping”, Terntank stated.