AET unveils names of Total-chartered LR2 sister vessels at Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea (photo: AET)

AET, global petroleum and chemical tanker owner and operator, has commemorated a double naming ceremony of two long-range (LR2) petroleum tankers from Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in Korea. The Singapore flagged 114,000 dwt Eagle Lyon and French-flagged Eagle Le Havre, are owned by AET, and have been taken on long-term charter by French oil major, Total.

The vessels were named during the ceremony at the HHI yard in Gunsan, Korea. The event was attended by Mr Yee Yang Chien, (Chairman of AET and President/Group CEO of MISC Berhad, AET’s parent company), and Captain Rajalingam Subramanian, President & CEO of AET, along with senior representatives from TOTAL’s Trading and Shipping Division, and Gas Renewables and Power Division. The vessel was blessed by Godmother to the vessel, Helle Kristoffersen, Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Gas Renewables and Power Division, Total.

Eagle Lyon and Eagle Le Havre will both qualify for the Green Passport notation, having been designed to optimise overall operational efficiency and minimise environmental impact. The vessels have been fitted with the most modern energy-efficient engines, auxiliary equipment with advanced power management systems, along with the latest hull, tank and ballast epoxy coatings. The coatings have been selected to ensure the safe storage of a range of petroleum products, providing flexibility to Total’s global operations. Eagle Lyon will be managed by the MISC Group’s in-house ship-management division, Eaglestar.

Yee Yang Chien, Chairman, AET and President/Group CEO, MISC Berhad, comments, “It is an honour to be joined today by our esteemed partners from Total and Hyundai Heavy Industries to welcome Eagle Lyon and Eagle Le Havre to AET’s global fleet. Both vessels have been carefully designed to provide optimal operational and environmental efficiency, which is a key consideration for both AET and TOTAL, who have taken both vessels on long-term charter.”

“The synergies between our two companies run deep, and it has been a great privilege to undertake this project together as we work to develop sustainable energy shipping solutions, and we look forward to our ongoing cooperation,” he adds.

Helle Kristoffersen, Senior Vice-President, Strategy and Corporate Affairs, Gas Renewables and Power Division, Total, comments, “These impressive vessels are the result of the successful collaboration between Total, AET and HHI, and a shared ambition to develop ships that can serve the needs of our global business reliably and safely. It is an honour to be here today as Godmother to these sister vessels, and I have every confidence that Eagle Le Havre and Eagle Lyon will serve us well throughout their charter with Total.”

The LR2s unveiled at the HHI shipyard in Gunsan, Korea, are the latest addition to AET’s diverse and expanding fleet, which now includes 12 VLCCs, six Suezmaxes, one Panamax, 46 Aframaxes, four DP tankers, 13 CPPs, five LR2 tankers (including Eagle Lyon and Eagle Le Havre),13 chemical ships and an LPG tanker. Its current orderbook includes a further two Suezmaxes and four more Aframaxes.

Captain Rajalingam Subramanian, President & CEO of AET, adds, “We are committed to operating the highest quality fleet of petroleum and chemical tankers that will meet our customers’ needs now and into the future as well as reduce our environmental footprint. Building our long-range tanker fleet provides additional diversity to our operations, and will further bolster our capabilities across all markets reinforcing AET’s strategic partnership positioning in the industry.”

Tags: AET, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Total