Swedish product tanker operator Furetank has ordered another two vessels to the Vinga design, developed jointly by FKAB and Furetank.
When these two newbuilds are delivered from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard, Furetank’s fleet will consist entirely of environmentally frendly product tankers with an average age of two years.
The vessels are number 20 and 21 in the Vinga series of intermediate size product tankers and will be fully owned by Furetank Rederi. They will replace older tonnage, meaning that all vessels in the Furetank fleet will be of the emission-saving Vinga design. FKAB says that the Viga series represents the longest production run of any of its designs.
Furetank CEO Lars Höglund said: “We are very happy to reach this point on our journey, operating only ships with the latest emission-saving technology. We have done our homework. When these vessels arrive, the average age of our fleet will be less than two years. Since the introduction of the Vinga series in 2018, Furetank has developed into a substantially larger shipping company with our focus set on environmental progress. It has been an amazing journey.”
The green technology on board has been developed and refined with the construction of each new vessel. The latest addition is two technologies to reduce methane slip, a GHG reduction package and a Low Load Optimisation package, co-developed by Wärtsilä and Furetank. They will be implemented in all upcoming vessels and retrofitted into existing Vinga ships. Tests performed in the factory and on board show a methane slip reduction of 45-50%.
The Vinga series is designed for the demanding trade in the North Sea and Scandinavia, suited to meet the growing European demand for biofuels and renewable feedstocks.
Hoglund continued: “Our customers are becoming more environmentally conscious and placing greater importance on reducing the climate footprint of their entire supply chain. With a large fleet of energy efficient vessels, we can offer better service to customers and optimise the fleet trading pattern, reducing our climate impact even further.”
Delivery of the two new ships is expected at the end of 2026 and beginning of 2027. They will be entered into the Gothia Tanker Alliance and operated by Furetank out of Gothenburg, flying the Swedish flag. This brings the Vinga vessel series to a total of 21 ships, out of which 19 will be commercially managed and 14 fully operated by Furetank.
The Vinga ships are ice class 1A 17,999 dwt product tankers, all with dual-fuel capability, runing on LNG/LBG or MGO and are fully equipped for shore power. They are designed with a battery hybrid solution and other features that reduce fuel and energy consumption, resulting in lowered emissions of CO2, SOx, BOx and particles. The ships have scored the best EEDI value in their segment globally, meaning that they are the most energy efficient vessels according to IMO regulations.
Image: Vinga product tanker (source: FKAB design)
