The following is the text of a news release from General Dynamics NASSCO:
(SAN DIEGO) — On Thursday, April 28, General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the first ship in a series of three ECO-class tankers currently under construction for SEA-Vista LLC. The new tanker symbolizes the emerging direction of the U.S. shipping industry toward cleaner, more fuel-efficient modes of transporting product between American ports.
The ship, Independence, is a 610-foot, 50,000-deadweight-ton, LNG-conversion-ready product tanker with a 330,000-barrel capacity. Designed by DSEC — a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of Busan, South Korea — the ship design incorporates improved fuel-efficiency concepts through several features, including a G-series MAN Diesel & Turbo ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The ship includes a ballast water treatment system and is also designed to accommodate future installation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel-gas system.
The construction and operation of Independence and its sister ships are aligned with the Jones Act, which requires that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.
For more information about General Dynamics NASSCO, a business unit of General Dynamics, visit www.nassco.com.
For more information about SEA-Vista LLC, a joint venture between SEACOR Holdings Inc. and Avista Capital Partners, visit www.seacorholdings.com or www.avistacap.com.