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On Saturday, May 7, General Dynamics NASSCO shipbuilders launched and christened the Eco-class tanker Garden State. It is the third of a five-tanker contract between NASSCO and American Petroleum Tankers (APT), which calls for the design and construction of five 50,000-deadweight-tonne (dwt), LNG-conversion-ready product carriers with a 330,000-barrel cargo capacity.

The 610-foot-long tankers were designed by DSEC, a subsidiary of South Korea's Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). The design incorporates improved fuel efficiency concepts through several features, including a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form. The tankers will also have dual-fuel-capable auxiliary engines and the ability to accommodate future installation of an LNG fuel-gas system.

The construction and operation of the Garden State and its sister ships are aligned with the Jones Act, requiring that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.

"We are excited to see our third Eco-class tanker, the Garden State, launched and christened," said Rob Kurz, vice president of Kinder Morgan Terminals and president of American Petroleum Tankers, a Kinder Morgan, Inc. subsidiary.

"This marks another milestone in the construction process of our five ship program with NASSCO. We thank everyone at NASSCO for their continued support and look forward to adding this impressive vessel to the APT-Kinder Morgan fleet this coming August."

As part of Saturday's ceremony, ship sponsor Mrs. Yvette Romasko christened the ship with the traditional break of a champagne bottle on the ship's hull. The Honourable Greg Cox, from the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, served as the keynote speaker. Previously, Supervisor Cox laid the keel for the ship.

"When people ask about San Diego's working waterfront, all we have to do is point them to NASSCO," said Cox, whose first supervisorial district includes the shipyard. "This ship launch is another example of the growing might and reach of San Diego's blue economy of maritime-related industries."