A Confirmed Commitment to Sustainable Transportation
Quebec City, November 21st, 2018 — It is with great pride that Desgagnés took delivery of the M/T Paul A. Desgagnés on October 31st 2018, following the completion of her construction in Turkey. She is a new-generation product tanker with state-of-the-art technology. Third in a series of four product carriers, she is custom-built according to an original concept developed by Desgagnés and ordered at the Besiktas shipyard located in Yalova near Istanbul, Turkey.
“The addition of the Paul A. Desgagnés to the Desgagnés fleet — as for the addition of the Damia Desgagnés and the Mia Desgagnés — is the result of multiple innovations and tremendous work; as her predecessors, she is the source of great pride” said Mr. Louis-Marie Beaulieu, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Desgagnés, who adds that this new ship was named in honor of Mr. Paul A. Côté, who worked at Desgagnés for nearly 40 years.
The Paul A. Desgagnés is a dual-fuel/LNG oil/product and chemical tanker. Her most notable characteristic is that she can be powered by any of three types of fuel, namely heavy fuel oil, marine diesel oil or liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has undeniable advantages in terms of sustainable development by drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions, amongst others.
The Paul A. Desgagnés is double-hulled and holds a Polar 7 ice class confirming her capacity to navigate in ice-laden waters. With a deadweight of 15,000 tons at 7.8 meters draft, her cargo tanks can hold up to 17,505 m3 at 98% capacity. She is equipped with a Wärtsila 5RT-flex 50DF engine developing 5,450 kW power. To ensure outstanding manoeuvrability and to optimize safety, she is equipped with a variable pitch propeller, a 750kW bow thruster, a 550kW stern thruster and a dynamic positioning system.
The Paul A. Desgagnés represents an investment exceeding $50 million, of which almost $9 million are solely dedicated to the dual-fuel/LNG motorization. “It is a very significant investment, showing again Desgagnés’s commitment to sustainable development”, declared Mr. Beaulieu. He also insisted on sincerely thanking the Québec Transport Ministry for its financial contribution to the project — $1000 per ton of reduced or avoided GHG emissions, up to a maximum of $3 million —, allocated by the program related to the improvement of transportation efficiency and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (PETMAF).
The M/T Paul A. Desgagnés will leave Turkey on November 22nd and is expected in Canada in the first half of December this year.
About Desgagnés
Desgagnés, whose headquarters are in Quebec City, is a conglomerate that has specialized since the 19th century in marine transportation of liquid bulk, general cargo, dry bulk and passengers. Its activities also extend to ship repair as well as the rental and operation of heavy machinery. Desgagnés owns and operates a fleet of ships that navigate on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence, the Canadian Arctic, the East coasts of Canada and the United States and all the seas of the world. With an annual turnover nearing 275 million dollars, Desgagnés creates over 1,000 jobs in peak season with a payroll exceeding 70 million dollars.
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Sources:
Benoit Chassé, CIRC
Vice-President – HR & Communications
Groupe Desgagnés Inc.
(418) 692-1000
benoit.chasse@desgagnes.com
www.desgagnes.com
Suzanne Laflèche
Office of the President
Groupe Desgagnés Inc.
(418) 692-1000
suzanne.lafleche@desgagnes.com
www.desgagnes.com