Reference
Asphalt Carriers
Heated tanks for bitumen. What it carries, how it is built and the limits that define the class.
- Cargo gear
- Self-discharging by heated pump system
- Capacity measured in
- Deadweight tonnes (DWT)
- Typical size
- Commonly 3,000–15,000 DWT
- Cargo type
- Bitumen and asphalt
About asphalt carriers
Small specialised tankers carrying bitumen and asphalt, which are solid at ambient temperature and must be kept hot to remain pumpable.
The tanks are heavily insulated and fitted with heating coils, holding the cargo hot enough to stay pumpable — typically around 150 to 180 degrees Celsius. Heat is supplied by a thermal oil system circulating through coils in the tanks. Pipelines and pumps are heated and traced to the same standard, since cargo cooling anywhere in the system will set solid and block it.
Trades are typically short-sea, running from refineries to regional terminals serving road construction, so the ships are correspondingly small.
What it carries
How it is built
- A double hull — cargo tanks separated from the sea by ballast space on the sides and bottom — mandatory under MARPOL for oil tankers.
- Cargo divided between several tanks, with longitudinal and transverse bulkheads limiting the free surface effect of liquid movement.
- An inert gas system that keeps tank atmospheres below the oxygen level at which the vapour space could ignite.
- Cargo pumps and a fixed pipeline system with a manifold amidships, so the ship discharges its own cargo.
- Heating coils in tanks intended for cargo that must stay warm enough to pump.
Why it is used
- Moves very large volumes of liquid with no packaging at all.
- The ship discharges itself, so terminals need pipework and storage rather than heavy lifting equipment.
- Segregated tanks allow several grades to travel on the same voyage without mixing.
What to check before fixing
- Tank cleaning between cargoes takes time and cost, and the previous cargoes carried determine what may be loaded next.
- Vetting inspections by oil majors govern which ships are acceptable, over and above class and flag requirements.
- Pollution liability is severe, and both the ship and the terminal operate under strict transfer procedures.
Track the ship, not just the box
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