Rederij Doeksen LNG ferry completes sea trials

Sister ships Willem Barentsz and Willem de Vlamingh were built by Vietnam’s Strategic Marine Shipyard while the final outfit and commissioning was completed by Rederij Doeksen.

Rederij Doeksen said the project’s main focus was reducing the environmental impact of the vessels as they will operate in the Wadden Sea, an intertidal zone in the south-eastern part of the North Sea and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A medium-speed aluminium catamaran platform was selected to support the increased traffic on the route between Harlingen and Terschelling. BMT director of naval architecture at specialised ship design Sylvain Julien said the design will result in reduced power consumption compared to an equivalent monohull.

The need for reduced power consumption drove Rederij Doeksen’s decision to use LNG and developing the vessel’s hull form also accounted for these constraints. Rederij Doeksen managing director Paul Melles said that the technology review for the newbuild project suggested that LNG was the “most practical, reliable and clean energy source” for the route.

The vessel’s propulsion system is based around MTU pure gas engines which require no marine gas oils for operation in contrast to the more common dual-fuel engines. These IMO Tier III and EU stage V-compliant engines each deliver 1,500-kW and drive the Veth VZ contra-rotative unit to achieve a service speed of 14 knots. The vessel’s design also features a waste heat recovery and battery system to power the bow thrusters and provide peak shaving capabilities.

The 70-m Rederij Doeksen ferry has a maximum capacity of 600 passengers, 66 cars, 120 m truck lane, and six crew members.

Riviera Maritime Media’s webinar on LNG as a marine fuel can be accessed here.