Environmental concerns shape design of BP's Alaska Class tankers

摘要

On Aug. 11, National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. delivered to BP Oil Shipping Go. USA perhaps the most anticipated oil tanker to come out of an American shipyard this year. With the capacity to carry just 1.3 million barrels of crude oil, the twin-screw 941-foot-long Alaskan Frontier may not be that big as tankers go, but it is, nonetheless, a standout in the world's crude-carrier fleet. It's an expensive tanker for its class. At a contract price of around $210 million, Alaskan Frontier was designed to last a lot longer than other tankers — a 50-year life span on the double hull, 35 years on the deck structure. It is also being touted as "the most environmentally friendly oil tanker ever built." Not to mention one of the safest, most reliable and most efficient transporters of crude oil in service today.