Furetank's intermediate tanker Fure Vasa was given her name in Uddevalla, Sweden, on Friday, August 28, in front of more than 300 invited guests. Along with news of new investments and a 40th-anniversary celebration, the day brought several encouraging signs for the state of Swedish tanker shipping.

"Today, transport is not only a matter of competitiveness. It is also increasingly a matter of resilience, security and preparedness, given the political tensions in the world. That is why it is of such great importance to the government that Furetank is naming yet another vessel that will sail under the Swedish flag," said State Secretary Johan Davidson in a speech during the naming ceremony.

Fure Vasa, number 18 in the VINGA vessel series, has just arrived in Europe from the China Merchants Jinling shipyard in Yangzhou. The VINGA series is Furetank's family of intermediate product tankers designed for northern European trades, and its steady growth has made it one of the most recognisable newbuilding programmes in the segment. The naming of a Swedish-flagged vessel also carries broader significance: European governments have in recent years paid growing attention to maintaining national-flag tonnage as a matter of supply-chain security.

Vessel built through close cooperation

"This vessel is the result of close cooperation between Furetank, Algoma Central Corporation, FKAB Marine Design, the shipyard, and our dedicated employees and partners. The vessel represents our shared ambition to continue developing sustainable and efficient transport solutions. She meets all environmental regulations set for the next 20 years, and demonstrates how innovation and responsible shipping can go hand in hand," said Lars Höglund, CEO of Furetank.

Four new vessel orders announced

The day offered several highlights: it marked 40 years of joint vessel design between Furetank and FKAB Marine Design, and brought the announcement of four new VINGA vessel orders, taking the series to 26 vessels in total. Two of the newbuildings go to Furetank and Algoma Central Corporation in their joint venture FureBear, one to Älvtank and one to O.H. Meling. That other Donsö-linked operators are ordering into the same design points to how the series has functioned as a shared platform across the Swedish tanker cluster rather than a single-owner project.

"It was a milestone in the '80s when we started working with Furetank, and the collaboration has brought both of our companies great success. Business is not only economy, figures and facts. It is also a feeling, long-term commitment, trust and friendship. That is what we are celebrating today. The VINGA series being so well received by the market, and reaching 26 vessels, is absolutely amazing," said Stefan Mattsson, chairman of the Mattsson Group, owners of FKAB.

FKAB's early bet on Furetank paved the way

The naming ceremony was performed by godmother Anna Mattsson Lundgren, board member of the Mattsson Group. Lars Höglund emphasised that without FKAB, Furetank might not have reached the point where the company stands today, after years of unparalleled expansion and development.

"Gustaf Mattsson, the founder of FKAB, showed great confidence in Furetank as early as 1988 and contributed to the financing of our first double-hulled vessel. It was a pioneering investment, well ahead of its time, made long before regulations required such standards. It is therefore especially meaningful that Anna Mattsson is carrying on this tradition today as godmother of this vessel," said Höglund. The reference to double hulls predating regulation reflects a broader pattern in tanker shipping, where voluntary design moves often anticipated later international rules.

Stena's Dan Sten Olsson: 'We will all contribute'

One of the guests was Dan Sten Olsson, CEO of the Stena Sphere and a fellow descendant from Donsö, home of Furetank and the world's densest cluster of tanker shipping companies.

"These vessels represent new technology, and that is why I am here. We have ordered ships at the same shipyard: Stena has ordered 19 vessels, and my friend Lars Höglund has now reached 26. At Donsö, we look out for each other, develop things together and we like to work hard. We now have the right conditions for registering our ships in Sweden. We are all very optimistic about the future of Swedish shipping, and we are all going to contribute to it," said Dan Sten Olsson. With both Furetank and Stena now building in numbers at the same Chinese yard, and both citing conditions for Swedish registration, the event offered a snapshot of where Swedish short-sea and product-tanker owners are directing their newbuilding capital.

Source: Furetank, via Hellenic Shipping News