EMEA News
New Eco-VLCC for KOTC
Kuwait Oil Tanker Co. (KOTC) has received a new very large crude carrier (VLCC) with fuel-saving features, Kuwait News Agency reports.
The vessel, Al Yarmouk, is the third in a series of four new VLCCs being built by Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME).
The ships have a hull form designed to improve water flow to the propeller, improving hydrodynamics, as well as fuel-saving engines capable of operating on marine gas oil (MGO) or other low-sulfur fuels and a volatile organic compounds (VOC) reduction system that controls pressure to minimise release of the emissions.
The ships also include ballast water treatment systems (BWTS) that use filtration and UV technology to treat water entering and leaving the ballast tanks.
With the new vessel, KOTC now operates 28 tankers, with two more set for delivery by the end of the year.
The new ships are part of the company's Phase III Fleet Renewal Program, which aims "to operate ships, transporting and delivering cargo safely, efficiently, and promptly - protecting the environment while maintaining safe and healthy work conditions."
KOTC began the third phase of the fleet renewal in 2008, buying tankers at unusually high prices because of its high specifications for the vessels, industry news site Tradewinds reported at the time.
