Litton Avondale delivers first double-hull crude carrier for Polar Tankers

Northrop Grumman subsidiary Litton Avondale says it has delivered the first of five Millennium Class double-hull crude carriers it is building for Polar Tankers, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Phillips Petroleum. The Millennium Class next-generation tankers are the first new crude-oil carriers produced for the Alaskan trade in compliance with the Federal Oil Pollution Act of 1990.

The company said they are being built to meet or exceed existing and proposed environmental regulations and will set new standards for innovation and environmental protection. The Polar Endeavour has a total capacity of just over 1 mm barrels of oil which will be carried in 12 cargo tanks. The inner and outer hulls are separated by a distance of 10 feet, which exceeds regulatory requirements. This design allows for greater protection of cargo tanks and limits oil release if damages reach both hulls.
Litton Avondale said some of the most severe trade routes in the world lay between Valdez, Alaska and the West Coast ofthe United States. The ships will also deliver cargo to Hawaii.