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New Clean Products, Double Hulled Oil Barge Joins Seaspan Fleet
Officially delivered on December 31, 2008 the Seaspan 827 is the newest member of the Seaspan barge fleet and is the first clean products oil barge built for Seaspan since the Seaspan 822 was constructed in 1972.
Constructed at Vancouver Shipyards the Seaspan 827 is a class “A” double hull oil barge built to ABS and Transport Canada classification standards. Class “A” products include gasoline, diesel and jet fuels and have specific requirements for cargo vapor explosion prevention.
Mike Crosby, Director of Seaspan Business Development, said, “We further wanted to extend this commitment to the petroleum industry in general, ensuring Seaspan would be involved in the transportation of oil products on the West Coast.”
Among the prominent features of the Seaspan 827 are a raised trunk design that separates the tank barge operations from the marine working deck, allowing for a lower freeboard at the aft and side decks. The 827 also incorporates a multi-level pipe tunnel up the center of the barge, which allows the piping systems to be maintained and operated outside the main cargo tanks. A pipe tunnel also keeps the majority of all piping below decks, keeping the working deck as clear as possible.
The modern 827 incorporates a vapor recovery system which allows for loading facilities to collect the heavy hydrocarbon laden vapor that is pushed out of the tanks when loading. This system captures and reprocess the vapor, proving to increase energy efficiency and places less stress on the environment.
“Despite the complexity of this new piece of equipment and all the modern technology involved, the barge has performed flawlessly on each voyage,” said Crosby. "This achievement is largely due to the dedication of the Vancouver Shipyards and Seaspan staff involved with the project."
Crosby continued, "Now, with the new Seaspan 827 in our fleet, we can begin the voyage of growing our petroleum barging business once again."
