According to Kongsberg, this latest order brings the total of vessels ordered by Tärntank to 11, with the latest five featuring wind-assist technology. The new 15,000 dwt vessels are equipped with a range of advanced Kongsberg Maritime technologies aimed at energy conservation and emission reduction.

These hybrid tankers can operate on diesel, biofuel, or methanol and are equipped with wind-assist technology and Tärntank’s proprietary battery-powered Hybrid Solution. The wind-assist feature, set to be installed on the latest five vessels, is projected to cut emissions by up to 19%.

Rune Ekornesvåg, Kongsberg Maritime’s Sales Director – Ship Design, expressed his enthusiasm about the contract, stating that the latest contract for their fuel-efficient and low-emission tanker design reaffirmed the commitment of forward-thinking ship owners to integrating sustainable technologies into their fleets.

Meanwhile, Claes Möller, Chief Executive Officer at Tärntank, commented on the significance of the partnership and its future outlook. He noted that the combination of good design and innovative systems installed on a newbuild vessel would reduce the carbon footprint of maritime operations beyond regulatory requirements. 

This latest order brings the total number of ships in this design series to thirteen, 11 from Tärntank and a contract for two similar vessels (without suction sails) for Sirius Redri AB. The latest batch of tankers for Tärntank is currently under construction at the China Merchants Jingling Shipyard in Yangzhou, with the first delivery expected in 2025. 

Until the first quarter of 2023, there were 24 large ships installed with wind assist systems. This makes a total of 1.5 million deadweight tons of shipping with wind assist systems onboard. Within 2024, it is estimated that at least 49 vessels -equivalent to 3.3 million dwt- will be retrofitted with wind propulsion systems.