National Chemical Carriers Company (NCC) received on 16 March the first of two new chemical tankers.

The NCC is a subsidiary of the National Shipping Company of Saudi Arabia (NSCSA).

The tanker was delivered by South Korea’s SLS Shipbuilding Company as part of an $86m deal signed with NSCSA for two tankers in December 2010 (MEED 27:12:10).

The delivery of the second tanker is expected to take place in April 2011.

The first tanker has a deadweight tonnage of 45,000 tonnes and a cargo capacity of 53,200 cubic metres. The vessel will be commercially operated by NCC Odfjell Chemical Tankers, which is located in Dubai and jointly owned by NCC and Norway’s Odfjell SE.

NCC has nine vessels already under construction by SLS Shipbuilding Company, with deliveries expected to be complete by 2012. NCC also has a chemical tanker under construction at South Korea’s Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Company that is due for delivery in 2013. This deal was signed in July 2010.

NCC aims to operate a fleet of 25 vessels by 2013. Its existing fleet is 13 vessels.