German shipowner Gerdes Green has banked a government grant to decarbonise two general cargo ship newbuildings on order in the Netherlands.
Damen Shipyards said it will fit battery power and wind propulsion to the Damen Combi Freighter 3850 vessels.
The 3,850-dwt ship has been developed with charterer Cargill.
The Gerdes family controls 10 general cargo ships and a feedermax container ship through Reederei Gerdes.
It formed Gerdes Green with European coaster specialist Over-C to develop a fleet of low-emissions, sustainable vessels.
The unspecified subsidy was presented by German transport minister Volker Wissing in Berlin.
It was one of a number of awards under the government’s Namku directive, which is aimed at modernising vessels to reduce emissions produced by the country’s coastal fleet.
The battery system will mean the freighters will be able to sail fully electrically without local emissions, for short distances.
The vessels will also feature wind-assisted propulsion in the form of foldable wing-shaped “ventofoils” from Econowind, lowering dependence on the engine.
The ships will be able to sail on B100 biodiesel, significantly reducing CO2 emissions, and there will be a 130kW shore connection, eliminating emissions when the vessels are docked.
‘Significant milestone’
Reederei Gerdes has been active in the coaster segment for 30 years. Seven of its ships were built by Damen.
Gerdes Green managing partner Nicole Gerdes said: “With this funding, we have achieved a significant milestone for our strategy to build a climate-neutral fleet.
“The ships will make a valuable contribution towards our journey of reducing the environmental impact of supply chains, leading the way for decarbonising the shortsea shipping trade in Europe.”
Another managing partner, Dennis Clavier, said: “In this way, the first two climate-effective ships in our fleet can contribute to climate-efficient supply chains.”
