Three Stena Bulk vessels to be reflagged for Tanker Security Program
Written by Nick Blenkey
Stena Polaris is a sister ship to Stena Impeccable (pictured here) one of the other Stena IMOIIMAX MR tankers reflagged by a Crowley and Stena Bulk JV [Photo: Stena Bulk]
MARAD has selected three Crowley-managed tankers to participate in the Tanker Security Program. The three medium range (MR) tankers are part of a joint venture between Crowley and Stena Bulk USA. The vessels — Stena Immaculate, Stena Imperative and Stena Impeccable — are Stena IMOIIMAX tankers. Two were built in 2017 and the other in 2016. They will be reflagged as U.S. registered vessels with U.S. crews. They will continue international commercial operations but can be chartered on a short-term basis to serve the U.S. government’s operations.
The MARAD TSP program will ensure that a core fleet of U.S.-based product tankers can operate competitively in international trade and enhance U.S. supply chain resiliency for liquid fuel products. The TSP will provide the Department of Defense with assured access to 10 U.S.-registered product tank vessels that may be used to supply the armed forces with fuel during times of armed conflict or national emergency.
Back in April, three Overseas Shipholding Group (NYSE: OSG) MR tankers were selected for the program, through which each participating vessel receives a $6 million stipend from the U.S. government each year.
“Crowley appreciates the U.S. government and military’s continued trust in our capabilities to serve the nation’s needs. Crowley’s team with Stena Bulk offers government customers a deep, full suite of capabilities to maintain an efficient, dependable supply chain with management that adds value by being able to meet needs quickly and innovatively,” said Gavin Hughes, vice president, Crowley Government Solutions, the company’s business unit for government services.
Crowley and Stena Bulk have partnered before to serve the energy needs of the government and military. For example, Crowley won a Military Sealift Command charter contract in 2022 to run the Stena Polaris, an Ice Class tanker serving bulk fuel needs of the U.S. Department of Defense in the Arctic and Antarctic regions as well as transporting fuel in the Mediterranean Sea region.
