Swedish Furetank and Canadian Algoma Central Corporation have expanded the FureBear joint venture to include another four dual-fuel product tankers to trade in Northern Europe.
The 50/50 owned joint venture was announced in August and is now extended with four additional 17,999dwt tankers, bringing the total investment to eight vessels.
Like the initial four vessel order, the additional four ships will be constructed at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Yangzhou, China. Two of them have already been ordered by Furetank in September and will be transferred to FureBear, and two are now placed as new orders with delivery expected in 2025. This means that the Vinga series will now total 17 vessels.
Furetank and Algoma Central Corporation’s joint venture FureBear has extended an order with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard for dual-fuel hybrid Vinga series tankers.
The ice class 1A Vinga ships are designed in cooperation with FKAB Marine Design. They all have dual-fuel capability and run on /LBG or gasoil and are also fully equipped for shore power. They are designed with a battery hybrid solution and several innovative features, such as a propeller nozzle, high efficiency twisted lead flap rudder and electric cargo pumps, that reduce fuel and energy consumption, resulting in extensively lower emissions of CO2, SOx, NOx and hazardous particles.
The ducted propeller increases thrust and minimises the required engine output, and fitted with a nozzle, the propeller delivers approximately 25% more pull than a conventional open propeller solution while maintaining the highest ice class. The main engine and shaft generator use variable frequency, making it possible to run the propeller at variable speed with the shaft generator connected. This achieves the optimal balance between propeller rotation and engine power at any given vessel speed. Propeller efficiency is optimised and fuel consumption reduced by 20%.
The vessels also feature variable RPM compressors and steam boilers with exhaust heat recovery for the main Wärtsilä 9L34DF engine and auxiliary engines.
The ships have scored the best Energy Efficiency Design Index or EEDI value in their segment globally.
Upon completion, all eight vessels will be entered into the Gothia Tanker Alliance, and will be operated by Furetank out of Gothenburg, Sweden.
