As part of a two-ship contract signed in December 2012 with TOTE, the 764-foot long Marlin Class containerships will be the largest dry cargo ships powered by LNG, making them the cleanest cargo-carrying ships. This ship technology will decrease emissions and increase fuel efficiency when compared to conventionally-powered ships—the equivalent of removing 15,700 automobiles from the road.

TOTE, NASSCO, the American Bureau of Shipping, and the U.S. Coast Guard worked together from the beginning of the project to the delivery of the Isla Bella. This included collaboration during the design approval, construction and commissioning the ship to operate safely and effectively on natural gas.

The Jones Act-qualified ships will operate between Jacksonville, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

NASSCO specializes in the design and construction of auxiliary and support ships for the US Navy and oil tankers and dry cargo carriers for commercial markets. For its commercial work, NASSCO partners with South Korean shipbuilding power, DSME, for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies.

LNG-conversion-ready ECO tanker. Separately, NASSCO hosted a christening ceremony for the first ECO tanker for American Petroleum Tankers (APT) under construction at the company’s shipyard in San Diego.

The ECO tanker, the Lone Star State, is the first of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and APT, which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000 deadweight ton, LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000 barrel cargo capacity. The 610-foot-long tankers are a new “ECO” design, offering improved fuel efficiency and the latest environmental protection features including a Ballast Water Treatment System.

The ships were designed by DSEC, a subsidiary of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) of Busan, South Korea. The design incorporates improved fuel efficiency concepts through several features, including a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The tankers will also have dual-fuel-capable auxiliary engines and the ability to accommodate future installation of an LNG fuel-gas system.

The construction and operation of the new tankers are aligned with the Jones Act, which requires that ships carrying cargo between US ports be built in US shipyards.