Thecla Bodewes splashes Vertom’s fourth diesel-electric bulker

Dutch short-sea shipping company Vertom Group has launched its fourth new diesel-electric dry bulk vessel.

The launching and christening ceremony for the 7,280 dwt Vertom Anne Marit took place at Thecla Bodewes Shipyards in Kampen, the Netherlands, on November 23, 2023.

The 118.60-meter-long Vertom Anne Marit is the fourth vessel in a series of ten vessels and represents a significant addition to Vertom Group’s fleet. The vessel is said to exemplify the highest standards of maritime engineering and design.

Featuring a diesel-electric propulsion system, the Vertom Anne Marit boasts advanced technology ensuring maximum fuel consumption efficiency, safety, and environmental sustainability. Its design optimizes performance while reducing environmental impact, aligning with the industry’s evolving sustainability goals.

The MV Vertom Anne Marit, part of the Labrax series, was specifically designed by Groot Ship Design and TBSY for a diesel-electric propulsion system. The Labrax series marks an important milestone in the development of sustainable shipping solutions and is therefore fully in line with the ambitions of both the Vertom Group and Thecla Bodewes Shipyards to make a substantial contribution to the transition to an emission-free shipping industry.

Furthermore, this modular propulsion concept is designed to be ready for future developments, by means of the ability to make the vessels’ propulsion methanol-electric or hydrogen-electric and to further reduce carbon emissions.

The diesel-electric propulsion system on board the MV Vertom Anne Marit, in combination with the advanced power-management system, minimizes energy losses, reduces overall fuel consumption and reduces CO2 emissions. This desired result has already been proven in the performance of the first three newbuild vessels, MV Vertom Patty, MV Vertom Cyta and MV Vertom Tomma, according to Thecla Bodewes.

In addition, the installed propulsion power on board MV Vertom Anne Marit is considerably lower compared to ships of equal cargo capacity and with conventional propulsion.

“The addition of MV Vertom Anne Marit is another step towards a younger and more sustainable fleet for Vertom. We are very pleased with the overall performance of the vessels, which is even better than formerly calculated,” Arjan de Jong, CEO at Vertom, commented.