Ilma

Maersk Tankers plans to spend up to $35m as it pushes ahead with a fuel saving retrofit programme, with the first VLCC due in a Singapore yard this month. The initiative will focus on the installation of fuel saving devices and gadgets including Becker Mewis propeller ducts and propeller boss cap fins on a range of owned tankers. The programme includes screening and retrofitting around 70 tankers over the next two to three years or so. Tommy Thomassen, vice president of technical organisation at the Maersk group subsidiary, reveals that one of the company’s “I-class” VLCCs – the Ilma Maersk, Isabella Maersk or Ingrid Maersk – will be the first to be fitted with the appendages at a Singapore yard later this month. Before-and-after sea trials will verify the expected improvement of around 5-8 %. The process of retro-fitting a VLCC takes roughly 15 days.

The Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd. (G E Shipping) took delivery of its 318,000 dwt Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) “Vasant J Sheth” from Hyundai Heavy Industries Ltd, (HHI) South Korea this morning and subsequently delivered the vessel to its new buyers. This was the last vessel out of the 3 VLCCs which the Company had ordered at HHI in April 2010 and subsequently contracted to sell in Q1 FY12. All the three VLCCs were of the same capacity and have been delivered to the same buyer. Five days back G E Shipping had signed a contract to sell “Jag Pradip”, a Medium Range (MR) product carrier. The 1996 built vessel of about 45,600dwt will be delivered to the buyers in Q1 FY2013.