Transpetro, the logistics arm of Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras, has awarded local shipbuilder Estaleiro Rio Grande (ERG) a contract for the construction of four MR1 tankers in a series.
The contract has a value of approximately US$427 million and will cover the construction of ships that will transport oil and oil products via coastal waters.
Petrobras expects the first ship will be delivered within 33 months. The four MR1 tankers and 48 other ships will be built as part of an ongoing fleet renewal program of Transpetro.
Petrobras said the ships to be built by ERG will each have a length of 175 metres, a beam of 30 metres, a deadweight of 40,000, and technologies that will improve fuel efficiency and ensure greenhouse gas reductions of as much as 30 per cent compared to earlier MR1 tankers.
The vessels' propulsion systems can be configured in future to enable operation on biofuels such as ethanol. Their hulls will meanwhile be coated with specialised paint that can reduce friction and further enhance operational efficiency.
The tankers will be able to transport products such as diesel and petrol.
