Sanmar Shipping Ltd, part of the Chennai-based Sanmar Group, has made its debut in the crude oil transportation sector with the acquisition of a Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) from the second-hand market for about $50 million. This move makes it only the second Indian fleet owner, after state-run Shipping Corporation of India Ltd (SCI), to operate an oil supertanker.
The 321,000-deadweight tonne (DWT) vessel, formerly named Maran Canopus and owned by Athens-based Angelicoussis Shipping Group Ltd, has been renamed Sanmar Herald and registered under the Indian flag—signalling the company’s entry into the crude oil trade. Until now, Sanmar Shipping’s operations have been concentrated in the clean petroleum products and gas carrier segments.
With the addition of the double-hulled VLCC built in 2007 by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co. Ltd (now Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd), Sanmar Shipping’s fleet has grown to 15 vessels, including 12 tankers and three LPG carriers. The Sanmar Herald is now the largest ship in its lineup—measuring 333 metres in length, 60 metres in width, and powered by a 43,020 BHP Hyundai B&W 6S90MC-C main engine.
Equipped with advanced features such as wake equalising ducts and Propeller Boss Cap Fins, the vessel is designed to cut fuel consumption and enhance energy efficiency. By comparison, state-run Shipping Corporation of India operates five VLCCs.
