General Dynamics NASSCO has christened the Liberty, the third ECO Class tanker under contract with customer SEA-Vista LLC. Designed for improved fuel efficiency, the 610-foot-long, 50,000 deadweight ton, LNG-conversion-ready ECO Class tanker symbolizes the emerging direction of the shipping industry in the U.S. toward cleaner modes of transporting product, the company said.
The ship’s advanced “ECO” design achieves 33 percent increased fuel efficiency through several features, including a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form.
As part of an eight tanker program for two separate customers, the construction and operation of the new ECO Class tankers are aligned with the Jones Act, requiring that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.
In 2016, NASSCO shipbuilders processed more than 60,000 tons of steel and delivered a record of six ships, including the first two ECO Class tankers for SEA-Vista LLC – the Independence and the Constitution.
NASSCO has partnered with South Korean shipbuilding power, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME), for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies.
Source & Image Credit: NASSCO
