First Iranian Aframax cargo ship construction nears completion
Deputy Managing-Director of Iranian Sadra Shipbuilding Company Mehdi Seif announced on Monday that construction of the first home-made Aframax cargo ship is in its final stages and the giant vessel will be ready for delivery by the end of the current Iranian year (ends March 20, 2013), FARS News Agency.
"The construction of this vessel started in 2009 and it will be delivered by the end of current Iranian year," Seif said.
In August, Managing-Director of Sadra Company Mehdi Etesam announced construction of four highly-advanced Aframax oil tankers for the first time in the Middle-East by Iranian experts, saying that the four crude vessels have been ordered by Venezuela.
"This project was launched in Iran's Southern waters last month and is now in final stages of construction."
Iran in July joined the world club of oil tanker producers after launching its first domestically-made 113,000-ton Aframax oil tanker in the Southern waters of the country.
"The first Aframax oil tanker which was built by Iranian experts at Sadra industrial island and at the order of Venezuela is 250 meters long, 44 meters wide and 21 meters high, and has a 14.8 draft," Managing-Director of Iran Marine Industrial Company (an affiliate of Sadra group of companies) Salman Zarbi said at the time.
He said that the Aframax weighed 113,000 tons and could traverse at the speed of 16 knots per hour.
Appreciating the Iranian experts for building the vessel, Zarbi said, "Iran succeeded in building its first gigantic oil tanker despite the westerners' cruel sanctions."
Sadra Company had earlier announced that the Aframax oil tanker was worth 52 million euros and was the first of its kind built in the Middle East.
Despite the western embargos, Iran's maritime and shipbuilding industries have made huge progress in recent years.
