Zhoushan Port on Friday (21 August) said Runji 1, the first bunker tanker purpose-built for the Zhejiang Free-Trade Zone (FTZ), has officially been put into service.
At 11am on the same day, Runji 1 loaded 4,000 metric tonnes (mt) of low-sulphur bunker fuel from the Sinopec Zhoushan depot to supply Panama-flagged bulk carrier KM Osaka with 2,700 mt of fuel to mark the first official commissioning of the vessel, it said.
Runji 1 was designed by the Zhejiang Xinhai Ship Design Research Institute, Zhejiang Ship Inspection Center Plan Approval Center, Zhoushan Runji Shipping Co Ltd, and was built by Zhoushan Hetai Ship Repairing Co.
Construction of the ship started in June 2019; it successfully completed sea trials in April this year.
The Port added the 5,000 dwt bunker tanker is specially designed to handle the large waves in the FTZ area.
The vessel shares characteristics of fuel tankers in Singapore, the Netherlands and other international bunkering ports. It is equipped with an imported digital massflow meter and can provide multiple bunker fuel deliveries to ships in a single trip.
The Runji 1 also features some technological improvements for better safety and efficiency during bunkering operations. Its maximum refueling speed exceeds 1,200 mt per hour, which is at least double the efficiency of ordinary supply vessels.
Related: Bunker tanker purpose-built for Zhejiang Free-Trade Zone completes sea trials
Photo credit: Zhoushan Port
Published: 27 August, 2020
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