De Bock Maritiem orders two diesel-electric coasters

Dutch shipping company De Bock Maritiem has signed contracts for the construction of two diesel-electric seagoing vessels that will enable the company to halve its CO2 emissions.

The 3,600-tonne vessels were designed by the Dutch Conoship International and they will be built by the Holland Shipyards Group.

As reported last week, another batch of Conoship’s designs has kicked off construction in Turkey.

Once delivered in 2024, the duo will sail under the Dutch flag and they will transport dry cargo. As informed, they are suitable to sail on the Rhine and in inland waterways as well due to their low draft.

De Bock Maritiem has attracted ABN AMRO Bank N.V., a signatory of the Poseidon Principles, as a partner on the project due to the vessels’ environmental characteristics.
 
The Dutch shipowner said that the ships will have 50 percent lower emissions when compared to their counterparts in the current European shortsea fleet. Due to their optimized propeller and hull lines and low power consumption, they will have 30 percent higher energy efficiency than the IMO Tier III requirement.

Conoship’s 3,600 tdw design is ready for wind-assisted propulsion, as it is prepared for the placement of two Econowind VentiFoils®, enabling for estimated fuel consumption and CO2 emissions reduction by abt. 10%, depending on the sailing route.

The ships will feature a modular design, with their generators located in an easily accessible space on the upper deck, making them ready for future conversion projects that would enable the vessels to run on an alternative fuel. The propulsion room is located at the bottom of the ship and would remain unaffected in such a conversion because the propulsion train itself would remain electric.

Even though the vessels will not be subject to the EU ETS as they are smaller than 5,000GT the company believes that it is important for ships between 400 and 5,000 GT to do their part in contributing to the reduction of CO2 emissions.

“Thanks to the colors of our ships, we have been sailing ‘green’ for years, but with the new acquisition we will soon see ‘green’ reflected in our emission figures as well,” says Gilbèrt de Bock, director of De Bock Maritiem B.V. “With these two new ships we are continuing on this path into the future.”

De Bock Maritiem specializes in dry cargo ships with low air-draft and low draft. Based in Alkmaar, the Netherlands, the company has eight vessels in its fleet.