Versatile carrier is a first for Turkey’s Gisan Gemi Shipyard

Rapallo is primarily designed to carry asphalt, but can also carry a range of products and IMO type II chemicals

Designed by Istanbul-based consultancy Delta Marine Co, the 8,476 dwt oil/asphalt/chemical tanker IMO II tanker Rapallo entered into service at the end of April.

Primarily designed to transport asphalt, the vessel can also carry a range of products and IMO type II chemicals. The vessel has eight cargo tanks, divided into four pairs, which are fully independent of the hull structure and mounted on special supports to allow for expansion of the cargo at high temperatures. In addition, two independent slop tanks are fitted providing the vessel with a total cargo capacity of 6,690m³.

The tank supports of the independent cargo tanks have to absorb the temperature difference between the cargo load (which for this vessel can be carried at up to 250^oC) and the ship’s structure. Furthermore, the supports have to be able to allow the expansion of the cargo tank and to support the tank while absorbing the forces generated by the vessel’s movement. To this end a Ulepsi tank support system from the Dutch company Beele Engineering was specified.

Rapallo’s cargo discharge system is based around a centrally located cargo pump room which is fitted with two cargo pumps with a capacity of 500m³/h and one 50m³/h stripping pump. A heat exchange room houses the equipment for the cargo tank and cargo pipe heating. Cargo manifolds are fitted on each side amidships with a centrally located 5 ton SWL cargo hose handling crane.

For tank cleaning, the vessel is equipped with four Scanjet portable rotary water jet cargo tank washing machines. These have a capacity of 21m³/h at a pressure of 10 bar and are supplied by Azcue pumps.

A centralised system for handling cargo and ballast liquids is fitted enabling the vessel to be assigned with the additional notation Cargocontrol. The notation VCS has also been included as the vessel is equipped with a cargo vapour control system.

A single screw, controllable pitch propulsion system, powered by a Wärtsilä 9L26B2 engine, producing a total of 3,060 kW (4158 bhp) at 1000 rpm, generates speeds of 13 knots. A 350 kW bow thruster unit provides additional manoeuvrability.

Rapallo’s electrical power is supplied by three Linderberg generator sets, each driven by MAN D2842 LE 301 diesel engines, producing 620 kW each at 1800 rpm. These are backed up by a 143 kW MAN D2866 E emergency generator.

Two S-MAN thermal fluid heaters with a design pressure of 8 bar and one S-MAN exhaust gas boiler with a design pressure of 8 bar provide all the vessels necessary heating requirements.

The BV notation AVM-APS has been granted to the vessel to take into account its alternative propulsion system. This enables the vessel to maintain operating conditions with some limitations in speed, range and comfort in the case of single failure of items relative to the propulsion or power generating system.

The vessel benefits from being fully automated, enabling the machinery spaces to remain periodically unattended in all sailing conditions including during manoeuvring and with the addition of the BV notation SYS-IBS assigned to vessels fitted with an integrated bridge system allowing simplified and centralised bridge operation of the main functions of navigation, manoeuvring and communication, as well as monitoring from the bridge of other functions related to passage execution, route control and machinery installations.

Rapello is owned and managed by S.M.T.V. Giuseppe Messina Spa, a company firmly established in Genoa, and controlled by the Messina family, whose main activities are centred on the transportation of petroleum and chemical products, in the Mediterranean and Black Sea.

Builder Gisan Gemi Shipyard has extensive experience in the construction of oil and chemical tankers, since its shipbuilding activity commenced in 1982. However Rapallo represents the yards first foray into the niche asphalt tanker market. TST