JUNE 25, 2013 — Ukraine's Kherson Shipyard has launched SVL Unity, the third in a series of three tankers being built under a $50 million plus contract with  of SVL Companies Group (Malta).

The contract for the three ships was signed in 2011 and delivery of this final vessel from the shipbuilder is scheduled for 2013.

The vessel is intended for the sea and combined (river-sea) transportation of crude oil and oil products, including gasoline, without limitation as to flashpoint, with provision of simultaneous transportation of two cargo grades.

Developed by the Marine Engineering Bureau, Odessa, the tankers comply with the outer dimensions of the Volga-Don Shipping Canal and Volga-Baltic Waterway. They have an overall length of 140.85 m, breadth of 16.86 m and depth of 6 m. The six cargo tanks and two slop tanks have a total capacity of 8,100 cu.m. Deadweight at sea is 6,980 tons on a draft of 4.20 m, while river deadweight, on a draft of 3.60 m is 5,378 tons. Service speed is 10 knots.

The tankers are engineered to meet the special requirements of oil companies and the additional ecological restrictions of the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping ECO Project (ECO-S) class.  The tankers provide for cargo transportation with temperature maintenance at 60 °С.

Mr. Artemiy Osipyan, SVL Co-owner, noted the high workmanship of construction of all three vessels. He said that the first vessel successfully passed sea trials and has already gone into operation. The second ship is now being prepared for sea trials in the near future.