APT Expands Fleet with New ECO Class Tanker

Crude oil transporter American Petroleum Tankers (APT) took delivery of the ECO Class tanker Garden State from California-based shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO on July 25.

The vessel is the third of five tankers within the contract between NASSCO and APT, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 dwt, LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.

The tankers were designed by DSEC, a subsidiary of South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME).

The design incorporates a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The ships also have dual-fuel-capable auxiliary engines and the ability to accommodate future installation of an LNG fuel gas system.

The Garden State will join the Jones Act fleet, together with other ships from the same series, in order to obtain a PMA+ Notation.