Framo installs liquid cargo pumps on 4,000th vessel

On Friday 15 May 2020, the shipping company Utkilen received delivery of their new vessel, Saltstraum, now ship number 4,000 worldwide in operation with Framo pumps on board.

“It feels like an extra special celebration of ship number 4,000 with our pumps when we have such a good, long lasting relationship with the customer,” says Martijn Bergink, CEO at Framo.

Norwegian supplier Framo has delivered pumps for chemical tankers since the end of the 1960s. The strong presence of chemical tanker companies in Bergen has enabled Framo to become an established supplier of cargo pumps in that region and globally which can handle any type of liquid cargo, even between different cargoes used on outbound and inbound voyages.

Saltstraum is the third vessel in a series of four new chemical tankers ordered by Utkilen from Avic Dingheng shipyard in China to be fitted with pumps produced by Framo in West Norway. Saltstraum has capacity for 10,500 tonnes in a total, with 14 different stainless-steel cargo tanks, all fitted with Framo pumps. 

These ships represent a new era for chemical tankers, with the environment, energy saving, efficiency and simple maintenance top priorities in all the on-board solutions.

“We are incredibly proud to take delivery of these newbuildings, which represent the future of chemical tankers. The ships will sail along the Norwegian coast for many years to come. Although the vessels are built in China, most of the equipment comes from Norway and Europe, such as the Framo pumps. These ships are a long step towards the IMO 2050 targets”, says Leif Larsen, newbuilding Director at Utkilen.

Focus points for the fleet renewal are low CO2 and NOx emissions. The main engines have been designed for use of natural gas (LNG) as fuel, and the ships can also be fitted with battery propulsion in the future. Compared with equivalent older ships, Saltstraum will have 30% lower Co2 emission, and NOx emissions will be 80 percent lower. As with the other vessels in this series, Saltstraum also has capacity for zero-emission operations when at quay. These are the first vessels of their type that allow for both loading and unloading operations using shore power.

Martijn Bergink, Framo said: “Although sea transport is one of the most eco-friendly alternatives for freight, it is always positive when shipping companies take the lead to make shipping even greener in connection with fleet renewals.

“We are very happy to note how Framo's solutions can also help save on fuel. Our pumping systems allow the crew to get the cargo ashore quickly, followed by a quick and efficient cleaning process, so that the ships can soon be on their way with a new cargo on board.”