Wah Kwong Maritime Transport and Bureau Veritas (BV) have announced the delivery of Frontier Venture, the first vessel in a new series of smart-enabled ships and the company’s first to demonstrate Group 3 “augmented ship” capabilities.
The LR2 tanker was built by Hengli Shipyard in Dalian and classed by BV. It has been assigned Smart (H1, M1, EnE3, MH3) notations, recognizing capabilities including machinery health monitoring and energy efficiency optimization.
The vessel integrates onboard digital systems with shore-based support, enabling what the companies describe as “expert-in-the-loop” services. These systems are designed to detect machinery anomalies early and provide operational recommendations based on data analysis combined with human oversight.
Frontier Venture has a deadweight of 114,000 metric tons and measures 248.8m in length, with a 44.0m beam and 21.5m depth. It is powered by an Everllence B&W main engine rated at 10,800kW and complies with EEDI Phase III requirements. The LNG-ready tanker is equipped with three cargo oil pumps, each with a capacity of 3,000 m³/h.
The vessel is the first in a series under construction at Hengli Shipyard, with a second LR2 tanker scheduled for delivery in July 2026.
The project builds on previous collaboration between Wah Kwong and BV. In 2023, the Ultramax bulk carrier Eastern Venture became the first new-build to receive BV’s Smart (EnE1) notation. Since then, Wah Kwong has progressed from foundational onboard digital systems to more advanced “augmented ship” capabilities that incorporate additional monitoring and decision-support functions from shore.
The broader Smart-enabled program includes seven vessels across multiple ship types, including LNG carriers under construction at Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company and bulk carriers at New Dayang Shipyard, with deliveries planned between 2026 and 2027.
Hing Chao, chairman of Wah Kwong Maritime Transport, said, “The Smart notations awarded to our first LR2 mark a key milestone in our long-term partnership with Bureau Veritas and demonstrate how we translate innovation into fleet-wide progress.”
He added that the collaboration has supported the integration of “data-driven insights” into operations both on board and on shore.
Alex Gregg-Smith, president of Marine & Offshore at Bureau Veritas, said, “The maritime sector is undergoing profound transformation, in which digitalization continues to play a central role … Bureau Veritas has been a strong and forward thinking partner to Wah Kwong in helping advance the deployment of voluntary Smart notations to help build confidence in the digital solutions across the industry.”
He added that the partnership demonstrates how industry stakeholders can work together “to enable safer, more efficient operations through data-driven technologies”.
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