James Fisher and Sons has named Orca Fisher, the first of four new LNG dual-fuel chemical tankers being built as part of its Sealife class fleet renewal programme.
The naming ceremony was held alongside HMS Belfast on the River Thames in London, with customers, shipbuilding partners, employees and industry stakeholders attending the event.
Orca Fisher is the first of four newbuilds, alongside Narwhal Fisher, Tiger Fisher and Dolphin Fisher, ordered by the UK-based marine services company in January 2025.
The vessels are designed with dual-fuel LNG propulsion and feature an optimised hull form, propulsion optimisation systems, an integrated rudder and propeller design, and waste heat recovery technology. James Fisher said these features are intended to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and enhance operational performance.
The ceremony follows the recent appointments of Rob Hales as Head of Maritime Transport and Guy Barker as Product Line Director for James Fisher Tankships, who will oversee the next phase of the company’s Fleet of the Future programme.
“The naming of Orca Fisher represents far more than the introduction of a new vessel,” Hales said. “The Sealife class has been developed around customers’ needs, combining operational resilience with technologies that improve efficiency and reduce emissions.”
James Fisher CEO Jean Vernet said the new vessels support the company’s fleet renewal strategy and its goal of providing more efficient, lower-emission coastal shipping services while meeting evolving customer requirements.
