The Swedish Skärhamn-based shipping company has received from a Turkish shipyard its first, in a series of two, next generation bitumen tanker.

The Ice Class 1A 9,400 dwt Bit Eco, designed by the Uddevalla-headquartered FKAB Marine Design, is 119.9 m long and 19.4 m wide. The tanker offers 7,500 m3 of freight capacity for carrying bitumen, chemicals, and petroleum products. The tanks are separated from each other, including those for transporting bitumen and asphalt which can resist temperatures up to 250°C. Bit Eco is equipped with Wärtsilä's 6L32E diesel engine, generating the power of 3,480 kW.

The vessel's sister ship is scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of 2018.

"One always has this special feeling when taking the delivery of a newbuild. We've been in the business since 1976 and this is truly a next-gen vessel. It's also a model which was upgraded basing on the experiences we've gathered over the years," Torkel Hermansson, Managing Director, Tarbit Shipping, commented.

He also said, "In addition, we've redesigned the bridge in a way that has never been done on a product tanker. We've placed a particular emphasis on the safety of navigation. We've reduced the number of control panels to the bare minimum, so that navigators can focus only on the essentials when manoeuvring the ship."

Photo: FKAB Marine Design