Womar Logistics operates a number of specialist tanker pools from its Singapore head office, including a pool for coated and stainless steel chemical tankers. An Aframax pool that it operates has seven vessels belonging to owners including Oldendorff Carriers, Schulte Group and Hanjin Shipping Co.
The company was founded in 2009 in Singapore when investors formed a joint venture with Heidmar to operate the Marida Tanker Pool. This pool comprised coated IMO II chemical tankers of 10,000 dwt to 14,000 dwt. The company went on to establish the Han Gang Tankers Pool with larger coated chemical tankers of 16,000 dwt to 25,000 dwt, the Stainless Tanker Pool with ships of 19,000 dwt to 25,000 dwt, and the Sakura Tanker Pool, with Aframax product tankers.
In 2014 Singapore-based shipowner BW Group took over the shares of Heidmar and added two existing and 11 newbuilding 20,000 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers to Womar’s fleet. Womar is 50 per cent owned by BW Group.
Womar carries out commercial management of the pools. It does not carry out technical management, which is the responsibility of the individual vessel owners. Some do this in-house, while others contract third-party technical managers such as Thome Ship Management and Hong Kong-headquartered Fleet Management.
Operations director Manish Jain says Womar commercially manages the pools with ships of up to 25,000 dwt. “Our optimum pool size is about 20-22 ships,” he says.
Womar’s pools operate on a profit-sharing model. All revenues and costs are covered by pool management. Profit is allocated using a formula that takes into account the various technical characteristics of each vessel.
Capt Jain says Womar has plans for substantial growth, in order to be able to extend its services to a larger dedicated fleet. It has a series of 19,000 dwt stainless steel chemical tankers under construction in Japan that feature an efficient design with low fuel consumption. The newbuild tankers will be operated in the Stainless Tanker Pool. They are technically managed by Thome in Singapore.
One of the new BW Group stainless steel tankers joined Womar’s pool in January 2016. These ships are 146.5m long with a beam of 24m. They measure 19,900 dwt with 22,000m3 total tank capacity in 20 cargo tanks. They are powered by an MAN B&W 6S40ME-B9.3 main engine with a maximum continuous output of 4,629kW. Space has been provided for the installation of an exhaust gas scrubber. The engine gives a service speed of 14 knots, with fuel consumption of 15.6 tonnes per day at the design draught of 9.7m.
The eco-design features also include a slimmer hull and devices such as a surf bulb on the rudder, a non hub vortex propeller and a stator fin. These and other design features meet the criteria set by oil majors.
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