The first of 40 inland waterway barges being built by Concordia Damen has been launched at Shipyard Kladovo in Serbia
This is the first of 40 Parsifal Tankers chartered by Shell, operated by the VT Group/Marlow and financed by institutional investors advised by JP Morgan Asset Management.
The 110-m long, 11.5-m wide vessels will have LNG propulsion and extreme shallow-draught capabilities – 2,800 tonnes on 3.25 m draught – to maximise cargo-carrying capacity on Dutch, Belgian and German canal and river networks. They will carry mineral oils on the Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Rhine network.
The VT Group specialises in the inland shipping of minerals, chemical products, bio fuels and lubricants.
Concordia Damen chief executive Chris Kornet said, “We are pleased to have reached this milestone in this important project. The Parsifal Tankers represent a new generation of eco-conscious vessels that will play a significant role in the maritime energy transition. We are looking forward to continuing to develop this project in the coming months.”
Shipyard Kladova is owned by Dutch brothers Reinder and Lambert Gerrit de Jonge, who run the family owned Gebr De Jonge shipyard in Lochem. The Serbian yard was also involved in the construction of Servio, which was towed to the Netherlands for fitting out.
Dutch engine supplier MAN Rollo will provide the natural gas engines for the 40 LNG dual-fuel inland waterways tankers.
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