Desgagnés christens dual-fuel tanker duo

Double christening ceremony was held in front of about 500 guests at the Port of Quebec.

Canada’s Groupe Desgagnés yesterday held a double christening for two polar class dual fuel/LNG petroleum/chemical tankers, M/T Paul A. Desgagnés and M/T Rossi A. Desgagnés.

The ceremony was held in front of about 500 guests at the Port of Quebec.

These additions to the Desgagnés fleet mark the completion of a $200 million-plus investment plan launched in 2015 for the construction and commissioning of four new vessels.

Built at the Besiktas shipyard in Turkey, the twin new-generation ships are the result of an original concept developed by Desgagnés to optimize characteristics related to safety, environmental performance and operational efficiency, while adapting to the navigational conditions of northern Quebec and the Great Lakes regions.

Each vessel represents an investment of $50 million, of which close to $9 million for each ship was solely for the purpose of adding a dual fuel/LNG engine. With a deadweight of almost 15,000 tonnes and tanks with a capacity of more than 17,000 cu.m, the vessels are suitable for transporting refined petroleum or chemical products.

“Desgagnés is very proud to have state-of-the-art vessels in its fleet,” said  President and Chief Executive Officer, Louis-Marie Beaulieu. “The addition of the Paul A. Desgagnés and the Rossi A. Desgagnés demonstrates Desgagnés’ vision and leadership in sustainable development in a tangible way, as well as its commitment to its customers to offer a first-class marine petroleum transportation service that represents quality, safety and respects the environment.”

The Paul A. Desgagnés and the Rossi A. Desgagnés have already received several certifications for sustainable development, including “CLEANSHIPSUPER” and “GREEN PASSPORT”.

The names pay tribute to two builders at Desgagnés

• Paul A. Côté worked at Desgagnés for nearly 40 years, mainly in the marketing of bulk carriers and multipurpose cargo ships as Director of Sales and Traffic at Navigation Desgagnés. Paul A. Côté was directly involved in the creation and development of the liquid bulk transportation sector from its very beginnings in 1996.
• Mario Rossi, a graduate of the IMQ and a licensed engineer from South Shields Marine and Technology College in England, played a major role in the design and supervision of the project for the ship’s christened yesterday, and made a significant contribution to Desgagnés’ success throughout his years at the company.