According to The Motor Ship September 2005
At present, vessels that transport liquid pitch number only eight on the international market and the vessels have only 9,000-10,000 tonne capacity to transport this key material for aluminium production. With the delivery of 15,000DWT SUNBIRD ARROW, Gearbulk has the largest liquid pitch carrier in the world. Classed by DNV, the tanker is certified for carriage of chemicals (IMO 2) and oil products with independent cargo tanks and has a class notation as a tanker for molten coal tar pitch, molten naphthalene and coal tar naphtha solvent. With a cargo tank capacity of 13,720 m3, the vessel is designed to carry a wide variety of liquids in the 10 tanks which additionally include creosote, crude tar, asphalt, bitumen and oil products which do not require coated cargo holds.
Liquid pitch has to be transported at 200°C and the cargo tank insulation is sufficient to prevent a drop of temperature of more than 1 degree C/24h for fully loaded tanks without heating. Cargo handling is carried out by three (one for standby) positive displacement type pumps each with a capacity of 450 m3/h giving a discharge time of 17 hours.
Maximum loading rate is 2000m3/h into four tanks simultaneously.
A single CP propeller driven by a 7175kW slow-speed engine will give the vessel a service speed of 14.5 knots. To aid manoeuvrability, a 790kW constant rpm bow thruster with a CP propeller is fitted in addition to a high performance Shilling rudder. The electrical power plant comprises two 880kW medium-speed diesel engines with NTAKL-VC Nishishiba generators, each providing 1000KVA. In addition there is a Nishishiba shaft generator with an output of 1250KVA.
Length, oa: 144.0m, Length bp: 134.00m, Breadth, mld: 23.50m, Depth: 13.50m, Draught: 8.80m, Deadweight: 15,000t, Service speed: 14.5 knots.