Swedish shipping company Erik Thun A.B. has granted Ferus Smit the order for building an LNG powered cargo vessel, with two more units on option.

For Ferus Smit shipyards it is a great challenge to build the first LNG powered short-sea dry cargo vessels to date. Many concepts and studies have been above the market already, but it will be down to the long-term cooperation between yard and ship owner to work out viable solutions that can be profitable in daily use.

The ships will be bulk oriented general cargo vessels sizing 5,800 DWT, with the option to convert them into self-unloaders. They will be of ice-class 1A and suitable for year-round Baltic service. The vessels will be equipped with a Wartsila Dual fuel main engine and a pressurized LNG tank enabling round trips of abt. 2 weeks. Classification will be done by Lloyds Register.

The first vessel will be delivered in autumn 2015 from the yard in Westerbroek, Groningen.

ferus-smit, February 17, 2014