Sweden’s Terntank said it has named the first out of two LNG-powered hybrid tankers currently under construction at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou.
The Chinese yard held the naming ceremony for the 15,000-dwt chemical and product tanker Tern Island on December 9, according to a statement by Terntank.
Tertank expects to take delivery of this vessel in December after it will depart for Europe.
Following arrival in Europe some six weeks later, the vessel will enter a long-term time charter with Finland’s NEOT.
The Swedish owner has two sister vessels on order at Jinling and they will both serve NEOT in the Baltic Sea region as part of a charter deal revealed last year.
With these vessels, the Finnish oil and bioproducts supplier will have in total four Tertank-chartered LNG-powered tankers in its fleet.
LNG and battery power
The two new hybrid tankers will sail on LNG or LBG but they will also feature battery power.
Terntank secured funds earlier this year from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency through Klimatklivet to install battery packs on the two ships.
The newbuildings will have a hybrid battery system and shore power connections that will help eliminate port emissions from the auxiliary machines.
In addition, the battery pack will provide 420 kW of power.
Terntank said the tankers would get shore power supply in the Energy Port in Gothenburg, a new development in the Port of Gothenburg which would be ready in 2023.
The two hybrid newbuilds are an upgraded version of Terntank’s AVIC series.
Kongsberg’s Rolls-Royce Commercial Marine designed the two ships in collaboration with Terntank.
