Three Crowley-managed tankers have been selected by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) to serve in its Tanker Security Program. The program ensures a commercial fleet can readily transport liquid fuel supplies in times of need for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The selected medium-range tankers are part of a joint venture between Crowley and Stena Bulk USA awarded TSP participation. The vessels— Stena Immaculate, Stena Imperative and Stena Impeccable—will be reflagged as U.S. registered vessels with U.S. crews. The tankers will continue international commercial operations but can be chartered on a short-term basis to serve the U.S. government’s operations.
“Crowley appreciates the U.S. government and military’s continued trust in our capabilities to serve the nation’s needs,” said Gavin Hughes, vice president, Crowley Government Solutions, the company’s business unit for government services.
“Crowley’s team with Stena Bulk offers government customers a deep, full suite of capabilities to maintain an efficient, dependable supply chain with management that adds value by being able to meet needs quickly and innovatively,”
A federal law requires the U.S. Department of Transportation, which includes MARAD, work with the Defense Department to establish a fleet of active, commercially viable, militarily useful, and privately-owned product tank vessels to meet national defense and other security requirements. The initial fleet size is 10, and companies receive a stipend for each ship enrolled in support of the nation’s defense forces.
Crowley and Stena Bulk partnered before to serve the energy needs of the government and military. For example, Crowley won the Military Sealift Command charter contract in 2022 to run the Stena Polaris, an Ice Class tanker serving bulk fuel needs of the U.S. Department of Defense in the Arctic and Antarctic regions as well as transporting fuel in the Mediterranean Sea region.
Crowley is a privately held, U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company serving commercial and government sectors with $3.4 billion in annual revenues, over 170 vessels mostly in the Jones Act fleet and approximately 7,000 employees around the world—employing more U.S. mariners than any other company. The Crowley enterprise has invested more than $3.2 billion in maritime transport, which is the backbone of global trade and the global economy.
As a global ship owner-operator and services provider with more than 130 years of innovation and a commitment to sustainability, the company serves customers in 36 nations and island territories through five business units: Crowley Logistics, Crowley Shipping, Crowley Government Solutions, Crowley Wind Services and Crowley Fuels. Additional information about Crowley, its business units and subsidiaries can be found at www.crowley.com.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue III, 2023.
