Batillus class supertankers
Encyclopedia
The Batillus-class supertanker is a class of the biggest ships by gross tonnage ever constructed. At , and 414-metres, the four vessels were built in the Louis Joubert Lock
, and launched from the shipyards of Chantiers de l'Atlantique
at Saint Nazaire, France
at the end of the 1970s.
The only other ship considered larger was the Seawise Giant (ex-Jahre Viking, Happy Giant and Knock Nevis) of 1981, which was originally designed with a smaller tonnage than the Batillus class, but had her length and tonnage increased during construction. If gross tonnage is considered, Batillus and Bellamya, each with a gross tonnage of 275,268 tons, are the largest ever built, exceeding even the Seawise Giant (260,581 gross tons when in service as an oil tanker). When considering fully loaded displacement, the Seawise Giant still holds the record, edging out the Batillus ships. The Batillus class's depth of nearly 36 metres and full load draft of 28.5 metres are records for tankers — slightly more than the two Globtik Tokyo class ULCCs.
Unlike Seawise Giant and most other ULCCs, the Batillus class vessels had twin screws, twin boilers of full size and power, and twin rudders. As a result, in an emergency they could more easily and safely be operated with a single propeller and a single boiler.
Louis Joubert Lock
The Louis Joubert Lock also known as the Normandie Dock, is a lock and major dry dock located in the port of Saint-Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique northwestern France...
, and launched from the shipyards of Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Chantiers de l'Atlantique
Chantiers de l'Atlantique is part of the South Korean STX Shipbuilding Group and one of the world's largest shipyards, based in Saint-Nazaire, France...
at Saint Nazaire, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
at the end of the 1970s.
The only other ship considered larger was the Seawise Giant (ex-Jahre Viking, Happy Giant and Knock Nevis) of 1981, which was originally designed with a smaller tonnage than the Batillus class, but had her length and tonnage increased during construction. If gross tonnage is considered, Batillus and Bellamya, each with a gross tonnage of 275,268 tons, are the largest ever built, exceeding even the Seawise Giant (260,581 gross tons when in service as an oil tanker). When considering fully loaded displacement, the Seawise Giant still holds the record, edging out the Batillus ships. The Batillus class's depth of nearly 36 metres and full load draft of 28.5 metres are records for tankers — slightly more than the two Globtik Tokyo class ULCCs.
Unlike Seawise Giant and most other ULCCs, the Batillus class vessels had twin screws, twin boilers of full size and power, and twin rudders. As a result, in an emergency they could more easily and safely be operated with a single propeller and a single boiler.
Batillus class sister ships
- BatillusBatillusBatillus was a supertanker, built in 1976 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for the French branch of Shell Oil. The first vessel of homonymous Batillus class supertankers...
, built in 1976, scrapped in 1985. - BellamyaBellamyaThe Bellamya was a supertanker, built in 1976 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for the French branch of Shell Oil. It was the second Batillus class supertanker...
, built in 1976, scrapped in 1986. - Pierre GuillaumatPierre Guillaumat (supertanker)Pierre Guillaumat was a supertanker, built in 1977 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for Compagnie Nationale de Navigation. Pierre Guillaumat, which was the third vessel of Batillus class supertankers , is distinguished as the biggest ship ever constructed, surpassed in size only by...
, built in 1977, scrapped in 1983. - PrairialPrairial (supertanker)Prairial was a supertanker, built in 1979 by Chantiers de l'Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire for Compagnie Nationale de Navigation. Prairial, which was the fourth and final vessel of Batillus class supertankers...
, built in 1979, renamed Sea Brilliance, renamed Hellas Fos, renamed Sea Giant, scrapped in 2003