Damen Marine Components will supply FLEX Tunnels, complete rudder systems and Rotor Manoeuvring Systems (RMS) for two new pusher-bargecombinations.
DMC will supply FLEX Tunnels, complete rudder systems and Rotor Manoeuvring Systems (RMS) for two new pusher-barge combinations
Den Breejen Shipyard from Hardinxveld-Giessendam will build the pusher-barge combinations on behalf of Rhenus PartnerShip GmbH & Co. KG in Duisburg.
This is a rare collaboration with these being the first complete inland vessels to be built in The Netherlands in a long time.
“We’re very happy with the confidence that both Den Breejen and Rhenus have placed in us. The entire build will take place at a Dutch shipyard – a conscious choice by Rhenus. The major advantages of this are not only the short travel distances and communication lines, but also the perfect quality we can guarantee together,” saidLeo van Zon, area sales manager at DMC.
Full package
The FLEX Tunnels will be installed in the two newly built pusher-barge combinations. DMC is also supplying complete six-rudder systems.
In addition, the bows of the barges will be fitted with Rotor Manoeuvring Systems (RMS). These systems, which have been supplied by Damen Marine Components since the late 1980s, guarantee the ship’s course stability, even in shallow waters and in strong crosswinds.
Inland shipping entrepreneurs’ interest in RMS has grown strongly in recent years, with more ships being designed for navigation at low water levels. RMS not only makes the vessels safer, it also provides significant savings in fuel consumption.
DMC is also supplying two Optima nozzles, two high-efficiency propellers, two drive systems to simultaneously synchronise six rudders, three for each rudder, plus a type SP2700 control system.
This is not the first time that DMC has equipped ships with FLEX Tunnels for Rhenus. The very first ship with FLEX Tunnels, the Rhenus Duisburg, was put into operation ten years ago and is still in operation today. For Den Breejen Shipyard, however, this order is their first project with Rhenus.
The first ship is expected to be commissioned by Rhenus in October 2023, with the second following in February 2024.
