Construction starts on Eastern Pacific Shipping’s new oil tanker in China

Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, has held a steel-cutting ceremony for an oil product tanker owned by Singapore-based ship management company Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS).

As informed, the vessel is the first 114,000 -ton Aframax product oil tanker built by the company for the Singaporean EPS. The ship H1582 has a total length of 249.95 meters, a molded width of 44.0 meters, a molded depth of 21.2 meters, and a design draft of 13.5 meters. It is able to travel at 14.5 knots.

The new oil tanker will be equipped with MAN B&W 6G60ME-C10.5 main engine and the company expects that it will meet TIER III specifications of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

A detailed design is carried out independently by SWS. Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) will class the ship.

Meanwhile, SWS has also started construction on the second 114,000 -ton Aframax product oil tanker being built for Greek ship manager Thenamaris. The vessel H1573 has the same specifications as the one ordered by EPS, according to the shipbuilder.

SWS noted that the ships H1573 and H1582 are the 24th and 25th vessels whose construction started in 2023.

To remind, this September, Eastern Pacific Shipping ordered two 93,000 cbm liquid ammonia carriers. Moreover, the shipowner reportedly ordered seven more ships, including three 210,000 dwt bulk carriers from Qingdao Beihai, and four very large gas carriers from Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea.