Independent tanker operator NITC passed a significant double milestone on August 20 when it took delivery of ‘Dadgar’, the last of a series of three DNV-classed 319,000dwt VLCCs from Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering in Korea.
The handover also completed a wider series 17 ‘new generation’ tankers - 13 VLCCs and four scaled-down suezmaxes - ordered by NITC from four of Korea’s five largest yards: Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries, Samsung Heavy Industries and DSME. The orders had all been placed at the same time in summer 2005 for a combined value of more than $2 billion, making it one of the largest newbuilding deals in NITC history.
A special technical challenge was to ensure that all the vessels were built as far as possible to the same design, despite being assembled at four separate yards. This design incorporated special safety, environmental and crew welfare features specified by the owner at a cost of around 9% more than standard yard prices.
DNV was entrusted with classing 10 of the 17 vessels, and in particular helped NITC with oversight of the build process and ensuring commonality at three separate yards. The two companies have enjoyed a long history of working together, most notably on the first series of VLCCs ever built in China at Dalian Shipyard in the late 1990s/early 2000s.
One particular feature of Dadgar and of NITC’s other latest DNV-classed tankers built at DSME and SHI is their extremely low levels of noise and vibration. They enjoy the distinction of being the first tankers ever to receive DNV’s highest ‘comfort’ notation, COMF-V(1), normally reserved for passenger vessels, as well as carrying its low vibration notation VIBR.
NITC site supervisor P. Sangin explains that “installation of an external ‘H’ Moment compensator plus two internal 2nd order compensators and high noise reduction panels applied to the walls of the accommodation were amongst the measures taken to reach this high standard.”
The owner’s decision to make this extra investment was reinforced by the findings of an earlier study by DNV and Statoil that found a direct correlation between noise and vibration levels on offshore vessels and the number of accidents. As a result the Norwegian oil company now uses only offshore vessels that meet the COMF standard, and in total more than 400 vessels worldwide have adopted the DNV notation.
Other crew welfare measures that NITC has included in its latest generation ships include a more powerful air conditioning system, increased-size cabins, a recreation room with large flat-screen tv and hi fi system, a fully equipped gym with outside views and crew-access internet. Each tanker also has an onboard classroom and is fitted with extra cabins to be able to carry 10 cadets plus one training officer.
From an environmental perspective the NITC ships also comply with DNV’s CLEAN notation and Green passport requirements. And Dadgar herself is notable in being the first vessel built by DSME to be equipped with a low sulphur marine gas oil storage tank (LS MGO Tank).
Sustainability issues are dear to the heart of chairman and managing director Mohammad Souri, who commented recently: “NITC has one of the youngest tanker fleets in the world but we are still applying and testing new, modern technology in an effort to reduce fuel consumption, which in turn will result in the reduction of carbon emissions. The shipping industry must step up and take its share of responsibility for tackling climate change.”
On the operational front, a highly significant feature is the fully computerised Integrated Cargo Handling System (ICHS). The KChief-700 supplied by Kongsberg is a powerful process control system specially tailored to meet the individual requirements of complex vessels, precisely controlling and monitoring all loading, storage and unloading operations.
Safe and efficient carriage of cargoes, without any threat to human safety or the environment, is of paramount importance to NITC. The company today operates one of the five largest tanker fleets in the world and boasts an exemplary safety and environmental.
Originally founded more than years ago as the National Iranian Tanker Company, the company was privatised in 2000 and last year became a full member of Intertanko, whose membership is limited to independent (i.e. non state- or oil company-controlled) tanker owners. Today, as NITC, it is a fully independent operator that carries cargoes for a client base of more than 150 oil companies worldwide.
The company’s commercial strategy is to operate only modern, top-spec tonnage in order to ensure that its tankers are the preferred choice of charterers even in periods of tonnage oversupply.
In fact, Sangin is able to reel off a quite staggering list of notations for Dadgar: 1A1 Tanker for oil ESP SPM BIS TMON CLEAN E0 HMON (1) NAUT-OC VCS-2 VIBR COAT-2 COMF-V(1) and NAUTICUS(New building). “These features and other technical aspects make this vessel one of the highest standard tankers of today,” he says.
NITC technical director Jamal Mayahi expresses his company’s appreciation of the work carried out by DSME and DNV to ensure the vessel has reached such high standards.
“We have been using DNV services since the 1980s,” he says, “and there has always been very good cooperation between us. NITC has actively used DNV consultancy in various projects and received very good and productive advice.
“In the case of Dadgar and her sisters, DNV provided excellent cooperation, contribution and assistance by employing highly qualified surveyors, supervisors and project managers. This helped the vessels achieve high technological status with an extraordinary level of certificates and notations. We value the classification society’s ongoing services to our existing fleet, future newbuilding projects and all upgrading project requirements in line with new rules and regulations.”
Date: 01 September 2009