VESSEL REVIEW | Volante – Greece’s Evalend Welcomes First Oil/chemical Tanker in New 39,000DWT Series

Jiangsu New Yangzi Shipbuilding, part of China’s Yangzijiang Shipbuilding Group, delivered the oil tanker Volante to Greek shipowner Evalend on July 30, 2026.

The Liberian-flagged vessel is the first of four 39,000DWT tankers the yard is building for the same customer. Construction was completed in compliance with Lloyd’s Register (LR) class rules.

The tanker has an LOA of 183 metres (600 feet), a length between perpendiculars of 179.5 metres (588.9 feet), a moulded beam of 28.4 metres (93.2 feet), and a moulded depth of 16.8 metres (55.1 feet). LR listed a maximum draught of 11.8 metres (38.7 feet).

The ship’s gross tonnage is 23,780 and net tonnage is 11,412. The builder said her design speed is 14.5 knots.

Unique bulkhead arrangement that helps maximise cargo volume

The principal design changes are in the cargo block. According to the builder, Volante uses a horizontal transverse bulkhead arrangement, which it described as a first for a Chinese-built tanker. The ship also dispenses with bottom stools at the base of the bulkheads.

The builder said the two changes together increase cargo space volume by 792 cubic metres (28,000 cubic feet) and save 96 tonnes of steel plate on each ship.

New Yangzi also said it optimised the cargo tank structure so that the vessel can carry oil cargoes with a density of up to 1.55 tonnes per cubic metre, up from 1.52 tonnes per cubic metre.

The builder has fitted a stern loading and discharge station that is not restricted by cargo type. It said this widens the range of products that the ship can carry and allows more flexible cargo handling. The mooring arrangement has meanwhile been laid out to meet the requirements of 36 terminals worldwide.

Fitted with emissions-reducing systems

The LR hull notation is 100A1 Double Hull Oil and Chemical Tanker, Ship Type 2 and Ship Type 3. It also carries CSR and ESP, ShipRight (CM, ACS(B)), *IWS, LI and DSPM4. The vessel also holds an ECO notation covering EEDI-3, IBTS, P and VECS-L.

Machinery notations comprise LMC, IGS, UMS, BWTS, EGCN(SCR) and NAV1. These cover an inert gas system, unattended machinery space operation, ballast water treatment and selective catalytic reduction for exhaust gas.

Descriptive notes include COW(LR) for crude oil washing, ETA for an emergency towing arrangement, LAC, and ShipRight entries for ballast water management (BWMP(S,T)), SCM and SERS.

Construction of Volante began in July 2025. The vessel completed sea trials in late June 2026, and the builder said all test results met design requirements.

The remaining three tankers in the Evalend series will be delivered in the 2026–27 timeframe, according to LR.