Page 43: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (August 2026)

SHUTTLE TANKERS onstituting a specialized station o? shore, thus spending extended an entire newbuild series of DP2 Suez- asset class, dynamic po- periods in DP mode, energy e? ciency is max shuttle tankers ordered on the Ko- sitioning (DP) shuttle equally a major factor in? uencing tech- rean peninsula by the Tsakos Group has tankers are a ? exible and nical concept and speci? cation. been committed to Transpetro, the logis-

Ccost e? ective way of lift- Market leader Knutsen NYK O? - tics arm of Petrobras. Nine 155,000dwt ing and transporting oil from o? shore shore Tankers (KNOT) is in the midst vessels entrusted by Tsakos Energy ? elds, where subsea pipelines are not a of a vigorous investment program, and Navigation (TEN) to Samsung Heavy practical or economically viable option. has augmented its order tally this year Industries have each been ? xed for 10

Production platforms or ? oating units at COSCO Heavy Industry (Zhoushan). years plus an optional ? ve years. are increasingly located in deepwater The 2026-2028 period is scheduled to The ? rst two vessels are scheduled areas prone to challenging weather and see a total of nine newbuild entrants to to be completed during the second half hydrological conditions, and where high the ? eet, underpinned in each case by of 2027, with the subsequent seven due extraction rates generate demand for long-term charter assignments, primar- over the course of 2028, and will virtual- consistent, dependable service in trans- ily involving Brazilian clients. ly double Transpetro’s platform o? oad- porting crude oil and condensate to re- In its business report for the open- ing capacity. The design incorporates ? neries and terminals ashore. ing quarter of 2026, KNOT stated that preparation for alternative fuels such as

Tailored to a niche segment of the o? - Petrobras had continued to set produc- methanol and ethanol, plus shore elec- shore oil delivery chain, shuttle tankers tion records with an emphasis on ? elds trical power connections. Each tanker command a substantial premium in cap- that depend upon regular shuttle tanker has been speci? ed with ? ve manoeu- ital cost, re? ecting a technical speci? ca- service. The Brazilian major has contin- vring thrusters, producing a combined tion aimed at ensuring the highest stan- ued to both bring new FPSOs on-line 14,000kW hull rotation power, sourced dards in operational and environmental ahead of schedule, and to commit to ad- from the Norwegian maker Brunvoll. performance, redundancy and mainte- ditional FPSO contracts with deliveries Two 154,350dwt shuttle tankers of nance regime. Moreover, exacting pa- now extending over several years. similar design were brought into service rameters regarding maneuvering and Illustrative of the considerable expan- by the Greek company from Samsung position keeping when loading (over sion in Brazilian o? shore development, during 2025, and commissioning of a the bow) in open waters, be it in high sea states and raging winds, place a par- ticular imperative on crew competence alongside equipment and system grade.

The requirement for replacement of older tonnage and for a new generation of vessels meeting charterer’s ever-strict- er environmental criteria, together with

Brazil’s aggressive expansion of deep- water oil production capacity, are stimu- lating a wave of investment in dedicated tonnage. The current tranche of high valued added contracts is yielding fresh business for South Korean yards well ex- perienced in the sector, but increasingly also for China’s ascendant builders.

Energy corporations are the primary long-term charterers of shuttle tankers, in a regulatory sphere more akin to the o? shore oil and gas industry than ship- ping. Environmental rating is accord- ingly critical and colors engineering design for the incoming new generation.

As vessels are subject to very high and constantly ? uctuating electrical loads when handling cargo and keeping www.marinelink.com 43

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