Versatile tankers from Turkish design house

摘要

Incorporating a very high technical specificalion shaped by the Turkish owner's bid to better ensure trading flexibility, service dependability, atttractiveness to oil industry charterers, and long-term asset value, a newly-contracted, 15,000dwt oil products and chemical tanker will be distinguished by the use of azimuth thruster propulsion. The 148m-long, IMO Type II newbuilding entrusted by K S Tankers to Cicek Shipyard will be constructed to ice class 1A standards to permit year-round access to the Baltic region. The design has been developed by the prolific, Istanbul-based consultancy Delta Marine Engineering Co in conjunction with the Kaptanoglu group-associated shipowning firm. The unusual choice of thrusters for main propulsion in such a vessel reflects a requirement for manoeuvrability of a high order, benefits of which should be faster turnrounds and a lessened need for tug assistance in confined harbours and narrow fairways. The selected drive and power translation system, with independently-controlled twin thrusters, was also favoured for its properties in conferring full redundancy and emergency propulsion.