The chemical and product tanker Stena Impero was named yesterday in a chilly and drizzly Guangzhou in southeast China. She is the last in a series of 13 sister ships ordered by Stena Bulk at the shipyard GSI (Guangzhou Shipbuilding International) in 2012 and represents an investment of SEK 4 billion.
A large number of guests, both customers and partners as well as employees and representatives of the shipyard and corporate management, had gathered at the shipyard to attend the solemn ceremony. The naming ceremony began with traditional Chinese dancing and music after which godmother Jean Mulholland swung the bottle of champagne against the newbuilding’s bow. The Stena Impero’s captain, Vinay Singh, then gave the guests a guided tour of the tanker. After her delivery on 7 February she will sail on her maiden voyage with a cargo of vegetable oils from Asia to Europe.
“It was exactly three years ago that we took delivery of our first vessel in the IMOIIMAX series and the vessels have performed beyond our expectations. Both the technical and the commercial concepts have proved to be very successful and have set a new standard for cargo efficiency and bunker consumption. With the delivery of the Stena Impero, the IMOIIMAX fleet is now complete, in line with the order, and is a significant and competitive addition to our high-quality fleet. At the same time, it is an important step forward and a development of our existing sophisticated trading system”, comments Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk.
“With the last vessel now delivered, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the shipyard GSI for fantastic collaboration with Stena Teknik during the development of the technology and during the three long years of production”, adds a satisfied and proud Erik Hånell.
A traditional donation
In conjunction with the naming ceremony, the shipowner by tradition makes a donation to a suitable project at the shipyard or, alternatively, to a locally important project or organisation. In this case, USD 15,000 was donated to The Guangzhou Children’s Social Welfare Home, which was founded in 1957. The whole facility can accommodate about 1,000 children and has access to medical care, rehabilitation, education and other forms of caregiving for, among others, children with disabilities and orphans who have lost both parents.
More about the Stena Impero
The MR tanker Stena Impero is owned by Stena Bulk and will, together with her 12 sisters delivered earlier, sail in one of Stena Bulk’s global logistic systems, which focuses on refined petroleum products, vegetable oils and chemicals. The fleet consists of 60 vessels related to Products & Chemicals and is operated from Stena Bulk’s recently opened office in Copenhagen with support from the company’s offices in Singapore, Houston and Dubai and its head office in Gothenburg.
Facts - the IMOIIMAX concept
IMOIIMAX is a vessel concept with a focus on flexibility and is a further development of an already well-established concept. The innovative technical design was developed by Stena Bulk and Stena Teknik together with the Chinese shipyard GSI. It offers several advantages such as extra large cargo flexibility, a high level of safety and economical fuel consumption. An IMOIIMAX tanker has 18 separate tanks (3,000 m3/tank), which provides for large freedom of choice as regards combinations of cargoes. The tanks have a Jotun Flexline coating, which means that they can also be easily cleansed and thus be used for other cargoes to quickly switch between different markets. Furthermore, the IMOIIMAX tanker’s cargo flexibility and ability to quickly cleanse the cargo tanks for different cargoes maximises its capacity utilisation rate.
Technical data: length: 183 metres, beam: 32 metres, deadweight: 50,000 tons.
The Whole IMOIIMAX fleet – Name, delivery date and owner
- Stena Impression, 2015, Golden Stena Bulk*
- Stena Image, 2015, Concordia Maritime
- Stena Imperial, 2015, Golden Stena Bulk
- Stena Important, 2015, Concordia Maritime
- Stena Imperative, 2016, Stena Bulk
- StenaWeco Impulse, 2016, Stena Weco
- Stena Imagination, 2016, Golden Stena Bulk
- Stena Immortal, 2016, Golden Stena Bulk
- Stena Immaculate, 2017, Stena Bulk
- Stena Impeccable, 2017, Stena Bulk
- Stena Imperator, 2017, Stena Bulk
- Stena Imprimis, 2017, Stena Bulk
- Stena Impero, 2018, Stena Bulk
* Golden Stena Bulk (formerly Golden Stena Weco) is a joint venture between Stena Bulk (formerly Stena Weco) and Golden Agri-Resources (GAR).
Some of the technical solutions that result in more efficient energy consumption and greater logistic flexibility:
- Main engine auto-tuning
- More efficient boiler with recovery from multiple heat sources
- Recovery of propeller energy loss
- Aerodynamic design of the accommodation and bridge
- Flexible cargo handling
- Nitrogen as inert gas
- An effective tank-cleansing system
Source: Stena Bulk