First Filipino-made, double-hulled oil tanker sets sail

The first Philippines-made, double-hulled oil tanker, designed to prevent oil spills, has set sail, local reports said on Tuesday.

“The ship is currently transporting bunker fuel in different parts of the country, from the Pacific Ocean to the Petron refinery in Bataan. It started last April 8. So far, the performance of M/T Matikas is far more than we expected,” Philippine TV network ABS-CBN reported, citing George Cottrell, president of the Herma Shipyard Inc., the biggest Filipino-owned shipyard in the Philippines.

Herminio Esguerra, chairman of the Herma Group of Companies, told reporters double-hulled ships such as M/T Matikas would help lower the incidence of oil spills.

With a double-hull, petroleum products are protected on all sides, he added.

“Any leaks caused by punctures will be absorbed by another hull.There is a hollow which will hold the products in case of an accident”, Esguerra said.

The Philippine government imposed double-layered ships as carriers of petroleum products after M/T Solar, a single-hulled oil tanker carrying more than two million liters of bunker fuel, sank at Guimaras Strait in the central Philippines on August 11, 2006.

M/T Matikas, which costs 10 million U.S. dollars, was approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO also ordered that carriers of petroleum products must be double-hulled oil tankers to prevent oil spills.

Aside from an oil tanker that is safe to the environment, Esguerra said “his company is proud to say that the ship was builtlocally and was built by Filipinos.”

“This is the first oil tanker ship that is 100-percent Filipino-made. It was built in Hermana Shipyard in Bataan. The design was done by Filipino engineers and naval architects. The welders were also Filipinos. This is a breakthrough in our shipbuilding industry,” Esguerra added.

If the Filipinos can show the world that they can create world-class ships for the international market, the country can generatemore jobs, he added.