
Finland-based Wärtsilä has unveiled the design of its new Aframax tanker at the maritime event, Posidonia 2014, which is currently being held in Athens, Greece.
The new tanker design not only enables operators and customers to comply with the existing and forthcoming legislations on emissions, but can also be adapted for ice-class notation.
Features of the new, highly-efficient, Aframax tanker design include an optimised hull form to reduce resistance, and a propulsion train with energy saving devices (ESDs) for enhanced efficiency.
Additional benefits include energy efficiency by lowering operating costs and improving environmental performance.
The new tanker design is available in three versions, namely the basic configuration using conventional HFO fuel, environmental which cleans exhaust emissions using a scrubber and selective catalyst reduction (SCR), and the green version, which is based on dual-fuel engines using LNG.
Wärtsilä Ship Design vice-president Riku-Pekka Hägg said: “Our focus is always on lowering operating costs and increasing fuel efficiency, and these elements are clearly evident in the new Aframax design.”

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By GlobalData“In particular, our technology leadership in dual-fuel engines and LNG fuel systems gives us obvious advantages in developing ship designs for gas fuel propulsion. We are leading the way in taking merchant shipping into the gas fuel age.”
Wärtsilä is also showing a range of merchant ship designs at the exhibition that are based on ship owners’ business models.
Image: The new, highly-efficient, Wärtsilä Aframax tanker design. Photo: courtesy of Wärtsilä.