Two options become firm orders: The long-established Hamburg shipping company John T. Essberger is increasing its newbuilding program to four chemical tankers.
In September last year, John T. Essberger ordered the first two tankers from the Rainbow shipyard in Nantong. At that time, a total of four options had already been agreed for a further two 13,000 tdw newbuildings with 1A ice class and stainless steel tanks. According to the shipyard, two of these have now been honored.
According to earlier information, the new ships will also be able to run on methanol fuel in future. Delivery is planned for 2027. The 132-metre-long chemical tankers were designed by the Swedish FKAB and are classified by DNV.
Essberger looks back on 100 years
The first order placed with the Rainbow shipyard in China coincided with the 100th anniversary of the John T. Essberger shipping company, which was founded in Hamburg in 1924. The last ship in a series of four 7,135 tdw chemical tankers was christened in the name of the shipping company’s founder John T. Essberger (1887-1959) in early September 2024.
The shipping company currently has a fleet of 35 chemical tankers, which are deployed from Hamburg as part of the “E&S Tankers” joint service with the Norwegian shipping company Stolt-Nielsen. The newbuildings now on order are also to be deployed there.
John T. Essberger (1887-1959) was one of the pioneers of tanker shipping. In the post-war years, he became one of the largest clients in the German shipyard industry. After his death, his daughter Liselotte von Rantzau-Essberger (1918-1993) took over the management of the shipping company. She expanded the German Africa Lines in particular. Today, the Essberger Group is managed by her sons Eberhart and Heinrich von Rantzau.
Specifications of the newbuild series
- Length overall: 132.0 m
- Width: 21.6 m
- Draft: 8.8 m
- Deadweight: 13,000 tdw
- Crew: 15
- Engine type: MAN-B6W 6G45ME-C9.7-HPSCR
- Power: 5400 kW
- Speed: 13.5 kn
