Thun Tankers continues the renewal of its fleet for short-sea shipping in Northern Europe. On 9 October, Thun Resilience was launched at the Ferus Smit shipyard in Leer, Germany. The vessel is the sixth in a series of ten ordered R-Class product tankers.
The launch ceremony took place with the Guest of Honour, James Davies, Senior Manager Supply Operations at Valero, named the vessel in the presence of business partners, colleagues and representatives from the shipyard.
The name Thun Resilience reflects the ability to remain reliable, adapt and recover when conditions change. In shipping, this means keeping vessels, people and supply chains working safely and reliably also when circumstances are challenging.
For Thun Tankers, this is closely connected to the role of short-sea shipping in keeping industries and communities supplied. Reliable transport depends on vessels suited to their trades, experienced crews and close cooperation between customers, partners and colleagues ashore.
The R-Class has been developed for efficient and reliable service in the Northern European short-sea product tanker market. The vessels are built in Europe and designed with a focus on resource-efficient operation and long-term relevance.
Following delivery, the vessels will enter long-term employment, serving established trade routes together with Thun Tankers’ charter partners.
“We are proud to take another step forward together with our partners in developing sustainable shipping solutions. A sincere thank you to everyone involved for a job well done,” says Henrik Källsson, Deputy Managing Director at Erik Thun Group.
Thun Response delivered
The launch of Thun Resilience follows the recent delivery of her sister vessel Thun Response, which was launched in May.
Thun Response sailed from Leer on 7 September and completed sea trials on 8 and 9 September. The vessel was subsequently delivered to Thun Tankers on 29 September and has now joined the fleet.
The delivery of Thun Response and the launch of Thun Resilience are further steps in the ongoing R-Class programme. Each vessel builds on the same proven concept, developed for the requirements of Northern European short-sea trades.
With ten vessels ordered in the series, the programme is a step-by-step renewal of the Thun Tankers fleet. The aim is straightforward: vessels that can operate efficiently, serve customers reliably and remain relevant over a long working life.
“With the launch of Thun Resilience and the delivery of Thun Response, we take another step in the long-term development of our fleet. It strengthens our ability to meet our customers’ needs and to remain a reliable partner over generations,” says Joakim Lund, Chief Commercial Officer at Thun Tankers.
Source: Erik Thun Group
