On September 17, Anhui Port and Shipping Land-Sea Equipment Co., Ltd. and Italy's AUGUSTA DUE S.R.L. held a signing ceremony in Tongling, Anhui, for the construction of three 40,800 DWT oil/chemical tankers. This order is the largest shipbuilding order undertaken by Anhui Port and Shipping Land-Sea Equipment since its establishment, marking that this joint-venture shipyard has formally opened the door to Europe's high-end oil/chemical tanker market with a batch professional vessel project.

The vessels to be built will have cargo tanks configured with 6 pairs of cargo oil tanks, 1 pair of slop tanks, 1 residual liquid tank, and 7 pairs of ballast water tanks. The total cargo tank capacity is 48,500 cubic meters, and the vessels will be equipped with seven mutually independent oil piping systems. Multiple independent piping systems can effectively avoid cross-contamination between different liquid cargoes and improve segregation loading and unloading efficiency. This is also a core technical feature that distinguishes oil/chemical tankers from ordinary product tankers. Cargo tank coatings, piping segregation, tank cleaning, and residual liquid control directly determine the actual operational value of the vessel.

In terms of the power system, the main engine and auxiliary engines are compatible with low-sulfur heavy fuel oil (LSHFO), marine gas oil (MGO), biofuels, and various blended fuels. This is a multi-fuel compatible solution, not traditional dual-fuel propulsion, making it convenient for shipowners to flexibly adjust fuel-use strategies according to emission rules in different navigation areas and fuel supply conditions. The vessels are equipped with SCR selective catalytic reduction systems, with nitrogen oxide emissions meeting IMO Tier III standards; PSD energy-saving ducts are installed at the stern to optimize the propeller inflow conditions, reduce navigation energy consumption, and achieve energy saving and carbon reduction.

As of now, the project contract price, delivery schedule, and final classification society have not yet been disclosed to the public.

It is understood that the ordering party, AUGUSTA DUE S.R.L., is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and is affiliated with the MEDNAV Group. It is a highly influential independent shipping company in the Mediterranean region. Since 1994, it has focused on the maritime transport of refined oil products and petrochemicals. Its fleet capacity covers the full series of product tankers from 3,000 to 42,000 DWT. It holds dual-system certifications for ISO9001 quality management and ISO14001 environmental management certified by the Italian classification society RINA, and its operating system is mature and standardized. The 40,800 DWT vessel type ordered this time is at the high end of the tonnage range of the company's existing fleet. Once put into service, it will strengthen its medium- and long-distance refined oil and chemical transport business capabilities.

For the shipowner, ordering three vessels of the same series in a single batch facilitates unified crew training, spare parts reserves, maintenance standards, and operational management; for the shipyard, series construction can continuously optimize the production processes of block manufacturing, equipment installation, and quay debugging, and dilute construction costs.

Public information shows that before the signing, the largest vessel under construction by Anhui Port and Shipping Land-Sea Equipment was a 25,000 DWT heavy deck transport vessel, and its chemical tanker orders consisted of only one 10,000 DWT oil/chemical tanker. The landing of three 40,800 DWT oil/chemical tankers directly set a new tonnage record for the company's orders.

Although oil/chemical tankers are not as large in tonnage as large crude oil carriers, the thresholds are higher in cargo tank special coating processes, complex piping layout, hazardous area protection, and full-process quality control, placing strict requirements on the shipyard's project management and supply chain integration capabilities. Securing a batch order from a European professional shipowner means that Anhui Port and Shipping Land-Sea Equipment is advancing from domestic conventional vessel types to the international oil/chemical tanker track with higher technical barriers. Once the project is successfully built and delivered, it will accumulate valuable real-ship performance for the company in international oil/chemical tankers and further enrich the regional layout of China's oil/chemical tanker construction industry.