Damen hands over eco-friendly freighter to German company, confirms additional newbuild contract

The Netherlands’ Damen Shipyards Group has delivered the first of three combi freighters (CF) 3850 that it is building for Germany’s shipping company Reederei M. Lauterjung and signed a contract for the construction of another vessel from the series.

As disclosed, upon arrival, the vessel, which was named MV Arion, is set to be under a charter agreement with Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditions, a subsidiary of German shipping company HGK Shipping. From there, the ship, featuring a length of 88.6 meters in length and a draft and beam of 12.5 meters, will run under a different name—Amadeus Pearl.

In addition to being the inaugural vessel Damen delivered to Reederei M. Lauterjung, this CF 3850 is also the first of eight being built as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Ba Son shipyard. The Dutch shipbuilder will reportedly supply the vessel with NAABSA (which stands for ‘not always afloat but safely aground’), which is projected to help the freighters operate in dry ports.

As explained, Damen began cooperation with the Vietnamese shipyard to create the additional capacity required to meet the growing demand for cargo vessels.

In April this year, it was reported that Damen had launched the first ship of a CF 3850 duo, after which Reederei M. Lauterjung placed an order for a third one. Three names were set aside for the 3,900 dwt freighters: MV Neptune, the construction of which is expected to be finished this month, MV Hestia, set for completion in January 2025, and, finally, MV Arion.

As understood, the 88.6-meter-long MV Hestia, once it is under the charter of Amadeus Schiffahrts- und Speditions, will also set sail under another name: Amadeus Ruby.

At present, Damen is constructing the remaining freighter vessels. On October 18 this year, a contract for the fourth vessel was officially signed, and it is slated for construction at the Damen Yichang Shipyard in China. As informed, this newest order could offer a 30% increase in fuel efficiency.

According to the two companies, the vessel will be built to run on biofuels as well as batteries for ‘peak shaving and port operation’. In addition to this, it will be hybrid-ready, prepared for full-electric conversion in the future with a projected ‘minimum’ downtime.

Believed to be compliant with the latest IMO regulations and port state requirements, Damen’s 3850 freighters have gathered interest from numerous maritime companies.

In October last year, Belgian shipping company Fast Lines Belgium submitted a request for two of these vessels. The 89.7-meter-long duo is also being built at the Yichang Shipyard and the ships are anticipated for delivery in June and August 2025, respectively.

Just recently, on October 17, Reederei Bernd Sibum commissioned four hybrid-ready freighter vessels from the Dutch shipbuilder.

As disclosed, the quarter is going to be prepped for battery-powered propulsion and shore power connections, in addition to the option of fitting the vessels with wind-assisted technology.