Based at the Port of Quebec on the St. Lawrence River, the privately-owned Desgagnés Group has been steadily raising its profile not only in North America but on various shipping lanes around the globe. Attracting industry attention especially has been the introduction of the world’s first polar class dual fuel oil/chemical tankers.

The carrier took delivery in late April of the M/T Rossi A. Desgagnés, a state-of-the-art, new-generation tanker whose construction was just completed. It was the last in a series of four custom-built tankers, based on an original concept developed by Desgagnés and ordered from the Besiktas Shipyard in Yalova near Istanbul, Turkey. The vessel will soon be leaving Turkey and is expected in Canada in mid-June.

The M/T Rossi A. Desgagnés is a state-of-the-art, new-generation tanker.
The M/T Rossi A. Desgagnés is a state-of-the-art, new-generation tanker.

The M/T Rossi A. Desgagnés joins the M/T Gaïa Desgagnés acquired this spring by the company. These two investments alone exceed C$100 million.

The major renewal plan for the company’s tanker fleet reaffirms its commitment to environmental protection and sustainable development, offers unparalleled service to its customers and creates unique career opportunities for seafarers young and old, wanting to work on avant-garde ships, stated a press release.

“The construction of the Rossi A. Desgagnés, as for the Paul A. Desgagnés, Mia Desgagnés and Damia Desgagnés, is the result of multiple innovations and colossal work,” says Louis-Marie Beaulieu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Desgagnés. He added that the ship was named Rossi A. Desgagnés to pay tribute to Mario Rossi, who has been working at Desgagnés for 15 years and who played a major role in the design and supervision of the project.

A chartered account by profession, Beaulieu took over the reins in 1987 of an enterprise whose origins go back to the 19th century. Revenues have more than doubled in the past decade to C$300 million from operations in liquid bulk, general cargo, breakbulk, dry bulk and passengers. Capital expenditures have run in the hundreds of millions of dollars during this period. The Desgagnés fleet of 20 vessels trades in the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Canadian Arctic, the east coasts of Canada and the United States, and all seas in the world.

The company now owns five dual-fuel/LNG tankers and is particularly proud of this fleet, unique in America, which focuses on safety, environmental protection and sustainability. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) offers undeniable advantages, allowing, among other things, a significant decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and reducing particle emissions to practically zero.

The Rossi A. Desgagnés is double-hulled and holds a Polar 7 ice class, confirming her capacity to navigate in ice-laden waters. With a deadweight of 15,000 tons at 7.8 meters’ draft, her cargo tanks can hold up to 17,505 m3 at 98% capacity. It is equipped with a Wärtsilä 5RT-flex 50DF engine developing 5,450 kW power. To ensure outstanding maneuverability and to optimize safety, it features a variable pitch propeller, a 750kW bow thruster, a 550kW stern thruster and a dynamic positioning system.