Donsö Island owner takes delivery of cutting-edge tankers

Family-owned Swedish tanker company, Terntank, has recently commissioned two 15,000dwt chemical/product tankers that are claimed to set new standards in sustainability and digital efficiency. The Tern Fors and the Tern Island have LNG/LBG dual-fuelled engines, can undertake emissions-free loading and discharging in port, and are equipped with digital optimisation systems to save fuel, cut maintenance costs, and arrive at port destinations ‘just in time’.

Terntank Rederi AS is one of several Donsö Island-based tanker owners, just outside Gothenburg, that have fostered close relationships with shipyards in China. Its two latest vessels were built at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Yangzhou, Dingheng Co Ltd to a design developed jointly by the owner and Kongsberg Maritime.

The ships have a capacity of 16,500m³ in 14 epoxy-coated tanks. They incorporate the company’s Hybrid Solution® enabling the use of LNG or LBG and potential fossil-free operation. A range of digital systems from  Kongsberg use a series of metrics constantly to optimise ship performance and ensure arrival at the next port without any need to wait. The setup also complies with BIMCO’s slow-steaming clause and tracks real-time savings.

Data from the ship is managed digitally by a vessel-to-cloud link. It includes performance information on engines and pistons, hull condition, fuel burn, speed, and possible contact with ice. This data then forms the basis on which proactive maintenance plans for the tankers can be developed, also ensuring optimal environmental performance.

The two ships’ main engines, boilers, and auxiliary engines can run efficiently on biofuels. This, combined with optimised hulls and rudders, enable some dramatic performance figures. The combination of systems on board the tankers enable a 70% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions when running on 30% biogas, as well as the almost complete elimination of SOx, NOx, and particulates.