CSSC SDARI Develops Whale Series Tankers

He Baoxin, Li Xiaofeng, Xu Feng, Wu Xiongli

Closly watch market demand, enrich ship profile

In 2021, the first generation of handysize / MR (30,000-50,000 ton tanker) with the new design concept applied by CSSC Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute(SDARI) was successfully delivered,and all the performance indicators reached the international leading level. At the same time, in order to comply with the trend of lowcarbon development, the institute has fully launched the research and development of the second-generation MR oil tanker.

Based on the demand of the market and the shipowner, the institute has successfully built the most abundant Panamax / LR1 (60,000 to 80,000 ton) series hull forms, including 32.2 m, 36 m and 38 m width scheme.In 2015, SDARI designed a 38m-wide LR1 tanker for the German shipowner REEDEREI NSB, and all the indicators reached the international advanced level. In 2023, the construction of a 36m-wide LR1 tanker designed by the institute for three Greek ship owners started. The fuel consumption index of this vessel has reached the international leading level, especially on the basis of the same scale, which has increased by 2%～3% compared with similar products, with obvious cost advantage.

SDARI has developed, designed and built two generations of Aframax/ LR2 (100,000 ～120,000 ton)tankers, as the key hull form and competitive products. In 2015, the institute developed and designed the first generation 115,000 ton Aframax/ LR2 tanker for the Greek owner Cardiff. The project has met the strict requirements of the world-renowned oil tanker operators and reached the international advanced level. The daily fuel consumption of the secondgeneration 114,000-ton Aframax / LR2 tanker is 10% lower than that of the first generation, and the steel is more than 400 tons less than the domestic conventional design. In addition to the leading performance indicators, after years of research and development,the number of components of Aframax/ LR2 tanker has been consdierably optimized, further reducing the construction cost and winning favor of the shipowner.

In the field of VLCC, the first generation of ＂COSCO type＂ 300,000-ton VLCC developed in 2012 by SDARI as the first time step creatively solved the major concerns of sediment prevention in the actual operation of the ship owner. Its newly developed new generation of Suezmax tanker and VLCCs, including 158,000 ton crude oil tanker, 153,000 ton shuttle tanker,300,000 ton VLCC, 310,000 ton VLCC,320,000 ton VLCC, their nperformance indicators are in the advanced level of the market.

Customer-oriented and customized design

So far, 124 special coating /stainless steel chemical carriers built and delivered are an important part of the liquid carriers developed and designed by the Institute. With its advanced, flexible and customized design, they have become the brand ship type and popular goods in the market, which fully reflects the customer-oriented customized design concept of the Institute. This series started in 2003 with 3000 ton ships,since then, SDARI has successively designed and built 3600 ton, 9000 ton and other stainless steel chemical carriers.

According to the changing trend of the production, consumption and transportation of international bulk liquid chemicals, the institute has designed and built a series of duplex stainless steel chemical ships, including 38,000 tons, 38,800 tons, 41,000 tons and 49,000 tons. Among them,the 49,000-ton duplex stainless steel chemical ship is the world's largest duplex stainless steel chemical ship and won the ＂2019 Chemicals / Oil Tanker＂award issued by Riviera Maritime Media.

Concentrate on tech R&D, create star products

As early as in 2005, SDARI successfully developed and designed the first 5,900-ton asphalt ship. In the past,the shipping of asphalt ships was mainly in Asia, Europe and the Caribbean sea,and occasionally in Africa, and the long route trade volume across continents was small. With the rapid economic development of China, Russia, India,and Brazil, the demand for asphalt for infrastructure construction is increasing,and the asphalt transportation market is in the stage of vigorous development.The special loading and unloading technical requirements of asphalt ship have raised the entry threshold of asphalt ship transportation, leading to the relatively closed asphalt ship transportation market, and the carrying capacity can only be in the hands of a few shipping companies with relevant hardware and software capabilities.

According to the special needs and shipping potential of this market,and relying on the solid R&D,design and innovation capabilities accumulated in the field of special liquid cargo ships for a long time,SDARI entered this subdivision field without hesitation. According to statistics, up to now, the institute has designed and delivered 35 asphalt ships of different tonnage, including 3,500 tons, 7,500 tons, 13,000 tons, 17,000 tons and 37,000 tons,accounting for the first market share in the world. Among them, 37,000 ton asphalt ship is the world's largest independent cargo tank asphalt ship,with four independent liquid cargo tanks, each tank is divided by two pairs of cargo compartments, which can carry petroleum asphalt (not more than 170 degrees Celsius) or refined oil with flash point greater than 60 degrees Celsius. After the first ship was put into operation in 2015, it has created good economic benefits, been favored by customers and become a star product in the market.

In recent years, SDARI has carried out a comprehensive and in-depth forward-looking R&D of WHALE liquid cargo ship series,and has made a series of exciting achievements. LNG, methanol,ammonia and other alternative fuel main oil/chemical tankers have achieved full coverage, and methanol dual-fuel MR oil tanker will be built soon. In particular, new green technologies including sailing, air duct and bubble drag reduction have completed the application research of related hull forms.

A group of green designs featuring low carbon and excellent performance have cut a figure, WHALE tanker series ship spectrum is getting richer. SDARI will always adhere to＂green, low-carbon, energy saving and high efficiency, environment friendly, intrinsically safe＂ concepts,devote themselves to R&D, make breakthrough innovation, committed to build Chinese ships WHALE series brand ship, increasingly become an important force in the R&D and design of liquid cargo ships in the world.