Tokyo-based Fairfield Maritime Japan, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fairfield-Maxwell, has secured a long-term charter from Finnish renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel producer Neste for two ships.
Fairfield Maritime Japan said it had signed a long-term charter contract with Neste for two new ice class 1A MR tankers scheduled for delivery in the first and second quarters of 2029.
The agreement will enable the company to fund and manage the construction of two medium range oil and chemical tankers for Neste’s transports to and from its refinery in Porvoo, Finland.
The two new ships will each have the capacity to ship 50,000 deadweight tons and will be built by South Korea’s HD Hyundai Co., Ltd.
As Ice Class 1A certified ships, the two new vessels will be capable of navigating in ice conditions with the support of icebreakers, adhering to the Finnish Swedish ice-class rules. These rules encompass the specific requirements for vessels navigating the Baltic Sea during the winter season.
The vessels will utilize low-sulfur fuels and will be capable of being retrofitted to operate on methanol at some point in the future. The vessels will be ready for the future with the possibility to connect to shore power when that is available.
In addition, the ships will be equipped with wind-assisted propulsion systems to supplement the ships’ main engines.