LNG tanker quartet to feature shaft generator drives from The Switch

Finland-based power electronics specialist The Switch, part of Japan’s BEMAC Corporation, has signed a contract to deliver single drives for shaft generators that will be fitted on a quartet of future-fit tankers being built at a Chinese yard.

As disclosed, the 113,600 dwt Aframax tankers in question are currently under construction at Xiamen Shipbuilding Industry in Fujian Province.

The units, which were designed by Shanghai Ship Research and Design Institute (SDARI), will reportedly be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and feature a dual-fuel propulsion system. They are expected to be handed over to the UK-based shipowner Union Maritime (UML) in the first half of 2027.

According to The Switch, the single drives will manage power output sent from the vessels’ two-stroke engines, thus ensuring “efficient” operations, lowering fuel consumption and cutting down on harmful pollutant emissions.

Moreover, the company’s representatives have noted that the power take-off (PTO) system will be implemented by Swiss marine technology developer WinGD.

Shedding more light onto the new partnership with The Switch, Stefan Goranov, Head of Integrated Energy Solutions at WinGD, said that he was “confident” in the Finnish partner’s technology, as well as in both of the companies’ ability to deliver “sustainable” solutions.

To remind, WinGD was also commissioned to supply hybrid power and energy systems on four wind-assisted tankers that Xiamen Shipbuilding is constructing for UML. The deal was inked in mid-April this year. At the time, the company shared that this was the first-ever contract to equip its X-EL Integrated Energy solution onto newbuilds of this type.

As informed, London-based Union Maritime currently operates a fleet of roughly 64 vessels, most of which are tankers and bulkers.

It is understood that UML will add another 47 units to its roster, unless additional orders are placed in the meantime, with deliveries peppered between 2025 and 2028. The environmentally friendly tankers booked at Xiamen Shipbuilding are all part of UML’s sustainability vision, which aims to see the company build a ‘completely green’ fleet.