Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment (ROC) has held a steel-cutting ceremony for the second 13,000-deadweight-tonne (DWT) duplex stainless steel chemical tanker under construction for German shipping company Essberger, marking the start of work on the vessel.

Among those attending the ceremony were Johan Isaksen, managing director of Essberger, Lars Skjelbred, site manager, Preben Rasmussen, director of Link Marine, Tao Yong, project manager at DNV, and Roy Fang, executive deputy general manager of ROC, together with members of the project team.

The 13,000-dwt tanker is being built to Ice Class 1A standards and is designed to comply with Tier III emissions requirements. ROC said the vessel will also feature methanol-ready and wind-assisted propulsion-ready capabilities.

The ship will have an overall length of 132 metres and a breadth of 21.8 metres, and will be fitted with 18 independent cargo tanks. According to the ROC, duplex stainless steel has been selected as the primary cargo tank material due to its corrosion resistance and low-temperature toughness, enabling the vessel to safely carry chemicals such as benzenes and alcohols.

Work on the first vessel in the series is already under way. ROC said the start of construction on the second ship will help support the steady progress of the remaining vessels and further strengthen its presence in the specialised vessel segment.

The vessels are intended for the carriage of a range of chemicals on international routes, with ROC highlighting cargo capacity, flexibility and energy-efficiency features as key elements of the design.