General Dynamics NASSCO christens APT’s fourth LNG-ready tanker

The San Diego-based shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO on Saturday christened the Bay State, the fourth LNG-ready ECO class tanker for American Petroleum Tankers, a Kinder Morgan unit. 

The Bay State, is the fourth of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and APT, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 deadweight ton, LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity, the company said in a statement.

The first three ships of the ECO Class program for APT, the Lone Star State, the Magnolia State, and the Garden State, have already been delivered and are in service.

The fifth and final ship under the contract with APT is scheduled to be delivered in 2017.

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

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