NASSCO Hands Over Fourth ECO Tanker to APT

US shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO has delivered the fourth vessel in a series of five ECO Class product tankers under contract with crude oil transporter American Petroleum Tankers (APT). 

The Bay State was handed over during a signing ceremony at the NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, California.

The Bay State is a 610-foot-long, 50,000 dwt, LNG-conversion-ready product tanker with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.

The first three ECO Class ships including the Lone Star State, the Magnolia State, and the Garden State, were delivered earlier and are in service.

On September 23, 2016, the shipbuilder held a keel laying ceremony for the Palmetto State, the fifth ECO Class tanker being built for APT.

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.

The ships were designed by DSEC, a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of Busan, South Korea. The design incorporates improved fuel efficiency concepts through several features, including a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form, according to NASSCO.