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On 17th December in San Diego, General Dynamics NASSCO christened the Liberty, the third ECO-class tanker under contract with customer SEA-Vista LLC.

Designed for improved fuel efficiency, the LNG-conversion-ready ECO-class tanker is 610 feet long with a 50,000 deadweight tonnage (dwt).

According to NASSCO, the ship's 'ECO' design achieves 33 percent increased fuel efficiency through several features, including a G-series MAN ME slow-speed main engine and an optimized hull form.

As part of an eight-tanker program for two separate customers, the construction and operation of the new ECO-class tankers are aligned with the Jones Act, requiring that ships carrying cargo between U.S. ports be built in U.S. shipyards.

Over the past decade, NASSCO has delivered 30 ocean-going ships to government and commercial customers - including the world's first LNG-powered containerships.

For its commercial work, NASSCO partners with South Korean shipbuilding firm Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies.