U.S. shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO has delivered the third and final ship for SEA-Vista LLC as part of the builder’s larger eight-ship ECO Class tanker program.
The LNG-conversion-ready Jones Act tanker Liberty was delivered on March 1, and is the last of three 610-foot-long, 50,000 deadweight-ton product carriers ordered by SEA-Vista in 2013.
The construction program began in November 2014, and the first two ships, Independence and Constitution, have been delivered and are servicing the Jones Act trade. Each of the three ECO Class tankers features 330,000 barrel cargo capacity.
“We are grateful for our partnership with SEA-Vista and the opportunity to design and construct three vessels equipped with world-leading technology and capability that will service their customers for decades to come,” said Steve Davison, vice president of pre-production operations for General Dynamics NASSCO. “Credit for the successful completion of this contract goes to the thousands of world-class NASSCO shipbuilders and our partners who worked to provide unmatched quality and service from day one.”
The Liberty is also the seventh vessel in an eight-ship ECO Class tanker program for two separate customers, SEA-Vista LLC and American Petroleum Tankers.
The eighth ship of the program, the Palmetto State, is scheduled to be christened and launched on March 25, 2017.
NASSCO, who built all of the vessels at its San Diego shipyard, partnered with South Korean ship designer Daewoo Ship Engineering Company (DSEC) for the vessels’ design.