A major part of the fleet of the Hamburg based Rickmers Group is to be upgraded at a cost of about $50m to improve energy efficiency.
Rickmers said the move was a to a response to customer demand for the lowest possible costs per transported container.
Over 70% of Rickmers ship operating costs stem from bunker consumption with the charterers who pick up the bill concerned about the financial impact.
Rickmers said the modernisation was on the basis of an agreement and the financial participation of a charterer.
The upgrade will comprise modifications from fitting a new bulbous bow to changing the screw type.
There will also be a re-engineering of load-securing systems, strengthening of hatch covers and a switch to new loading software with a view to increasing an optimising the container carrying capacity of the ships.
“While the charterer will benefit from bunker-cost savings, the planned modernisations also directly raise the attractiveness of the Rickmers Group’s own fleet. This not only increases chartering options in the long term but also considerably raises the value of the ships themselves,” said Rickmers.
“Energy efficiency and lower bunker consumption are key factors in our fleet’s competitiveness. Intelligent retrofitting measures bring existing ships close to the latest technological standards, meaning that newbuilds are not always necessary – something that our long-standing customers value very highly,” said Rickmers group chief executive, Ignace Van Meenen.
The move comes just a week after Rickmers announced it was to buy three 9,300-teu vessels at a cost of $260m.
Operating from Hamburg and Singapore, the Rickmers Group owns or manages a fleet of 112 vessels.
Most are containership of up to 13,600-teu but there are also car carriers and heavy cargo capble multipurpose vessels.
