Euronav Compass -

In the rarefied world of crude oil shipping, vessels are rarely news. But when the Euronav Compass hit the water in 2020, it wasn’t just another Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC). It was a $100 million bet on the future of an industry being pulled in three brutal directions: environmental regulation, digital transformation, and energy market chaos.

The Euronav Compass is not a revolutionary ship. It is an —the best of what a fossil-fueled world can build. It maximizes profit, minimizes waste, and kicks the carbon problem a decade down the road. Euronav Compass

Euronav has recognized that there is no single "silver bullet" fuel for the future. Consequently, the company has invested heavily in dual-fuel technology. By ordering new vessels capable of running on Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) alongside conventional fuels, Euronav utilizes LNG as a transition fuel. This strategy offers an immediate reduction in carbon intensity and eliminates virtually all sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter, providing a "bridge" to future carbon-neutral fuels like ammonia or hydrogen. In the rarefied world of crude oil shipping,

The Euronav Compass is a 333-meter-long, 60-meter-wide VLCC with a deadweight tonnage of approximately 300,000 metric tons. On the surface, it looks like its predecessors. Below the waterline, it is a different animal. The Euronav Compass is not a revolutionary ship

But the carbon problem remains. The Compass emits roughly 80–100 tons of CO2 per day at sea. Euronav’s parent, CMB.TECH, is now retrofitting sister vessels to run on (a zero-carbon fuel). Industry insiders suggest the Compass will likely be converted to dual-fuel ammonia capability by 2028, at a cost of $15–20 million.