VESSEL REVIEW | Dallas – Shallow-draught tanker for Dutch inland shipping company

Dutch companies RensenDriessen Shipbuilding and TeamCo Shipyard have handed over a new tanker to local shipowner Unibarge.

Dallas was designed by RensenDriessen, which was also responsible for the construction of the hull, while final outfitting took place at TeamCo’s facilities in Heusden. It is the fifth vessel to be completed by TeamCo for the same customer. The new tanker is named after the city of Dallas in Texas following Unibarge’s practice of naming many of the ships in its fleet after cities in North America.

Dallas has a length of 110 metres, a beam of 11.45 metres, a draught of 3.4 metres, a depth of 4.65 metres, and eight cargo tanks that can each carry 380 cubic metres. As with the other ships in the Unibarge fleet, the newbuild will be operated primarily in inland waters.

The tanker is powered by a Mitsubishi S12R main engine that produces 1,054 kW at 1,650 rpm. The EU Stage V-certified engine is also fitted with systems that reduce the nitrogen and particulate matter content of the exhaust gases.

One other notable feature is a bridge height detector fitted by Sensor Maritime. This alarm-equipped sensor advises the crew of any risk of imminent collision that may be caused by the tanker’s wheelhouse striking a bridge or any other low-hanging structure. This feature prompts the crew to change course or to lower the wheelhouse in order to prevent a collision.

Maritime software company Shipping Technology fitted the tanker with systems that collect data on vessel performance and voyage parameters such as fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This feature will enable Unibarge to decide on optimal sailing routes to minimise operating costs more effectively. Many of the other vessels in the Unibarge fleet are similarly outfitted by Shipping Technology.

Dallas will join the other tankers in the Unibarge fleet in supplying oil products to various customers in Western Europe via the Rhine and Danube Rivers as well as the Kiel Canal in northern Germany.

See all the other news, reviews and features of this month’s Marine Engines and Propulsion Systems Week right here.