Asphalt/Bitumen tanker

An asphalt or bitumen tanker is a specialized tanker that carries bitumen, a heavy refinery residue used for road paving and roofing, that is solid at ambient temperature and must be kept liquid for loading and discharge. Cargo tanks are heated by thermal-oil coils and insulated to hold bitumen at roughly 150 to 200 degrees Celsius throughout the voyage. The tanks are usually independent and built clear of the shell so the hot cargo does not stress the hull. These tankers are small, often a few thousand dwt up to around 30,000 dwt, and trade short and medium hauls between refineries and import terminals serving construction markets.