Tsakos shuttle tanker series to feature 45 Brunvoll thrusters

Tsakos has selected Brunvoll to supply thrusters for a tranche of shuttle tanker newbuildings. For Brunvoll, this is the largest thruster contract in its history, covering 45 units for a series of Suezmax shuttle tankers ordered by Tsakos as part of its Transpetro contract. The ships are under construction at Samsung Heavy Industries in South Korea.

Each of the five vessels will be equipped with five thrusters: one tunnel thruster and two retractable azimuth thrusters in the bow, and one tunnel thruster and one retractable azimuth thruster in the stern. The total installed thruster power per vessel will be about 14,000 kW. Deliveries will start in November 2025 and continue through to July 2027.

Brunvoll business development and marketing manager Sivert Sæther told Tanker Shipping & Trade that the shuttle tankers will measure about 279 m in length and 154,560 dwt. “Holding such a massive vessel in position and on course in open sea conditions is a demanding task,” he said, stressing the need for reliable manoeuvring systems during offshore loading from FPSOs.

“Tsakos chose Brunvoll for reliable technology and support”

Although Brunvoll is not supplying the dynamic positioning (DP) systems for this project, the company will deliver its own Propulsion and Thruster Control system (BruCon PTC) for three manoeuvring stations, together with the BruCon Condition Monitoring System (CMS). “Although we are not the DP provider in this case, Brunvoll is actively developing its own DP systems and is committed to offering them to meet the future demands of the shuttle tanker market,” Mr Sæther said.

Each thruster will be fitted with sensor arrays linked to Brunvoll’s cloud platform. The data will be processed and made available to the shipowner and operator, supporting condition-based maintenance planning and trend analysis. “This enables better insight into the thruster condition, allowing for maintenance based on actual operational data rather than fixed intervals,” Mr Sæther explained.

Mr Sæther said several propulsion and manoeuvring system suppliers competed for the contract. “We believe Tsakos, Transpetro and Samsung chose Brunvoll because we offered the best overall solution, built on reliable technology, operational performance and a proven track record in this specialised segment,” he said. “While we may not have been the lowest-cost option, the decision reflects a strong focus on long-term value, quality and trust.”

Brunvoll retains its core production in Norway while sourcing selected components from international partners. “An order of this magnitude naturally demands extra attention, smart sourcing and thorough planning to move 45 thrusters through our production facility efficiently,” Mr Sæther said. He noted that the company is exploring ways to expand capacity further.

Commenting on the wider propulsion market, Mr Sæther pointed to rising demand for energy-efficient and advanced integrated systems across vessel types. “This trend is linked to wider industry goals around decarbonisation, electrification and operational efficiency,” he said. “We always strive to stay ahead of our customers’ needs, but many of our best ideas are developed in close co-operation with forward-leaning customers.”