Vigorous Dutch reinvestment in short-sea trading capacity has yielded a construction programme for the Turkish shipbuilding industry. Delfzijl-based Amasus Shipping has contracted with compatriot Handelskade Shipsales and Bogazici Shipyard, on Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, for a series of 4,100dwt multi-purpose vessels.
The 90m design developed by Dutch consultancy DEKC Maritime is distinguished by a diesel-electric propulsion system and provision for sailing in ‘open-top’ configuration. The first of the four, LR-classed newbuilds is expected to be ready to enter service at the beginning of 2024 as the Eems Bison, to be followed over the course of the year by all three sisterships.
Laid out with the bridge and superstructure forward, funnel casing offset on the starboard quarter, and a single hold and removable tweendeck accessed through a full-width hatchway closed by pontoon-type covers, the Eems B generation offers a high degree of cargo flexibility.
The underdeck volume of 178,300ft3 provides for bulk commodities, break-bulk freight and containers, augmented by the scope for deck cargo or the ability to load outsized or indivisible items of freight by leaving the pontoon hatch covers open. The new series accordingly strengthens the Amasus fleet’s capabilities in fields such as shipments of wind mill blades and construction equipment.
The Eems B type will incorporate what is described as a modular propulsion system intended to facilitate adaptation of the diesel-electric power setup to the use of future, non-fossil fuels.
The project blends the commercial and technical expertise of Amasus Shipping honed through the deployment of a mixed fleet of owned, part-owned and managed tonnage in the 1,500-9,200dwt range with DEKC Maritime’s forward-thinking approach to small cargo vessel design. The Groningen-domiciled consultancy has raised its profile by devising efficient new classes of short-sea trader, and through its concept of a modular engine room or power pack that lends itself to swapping out for a unit that can run on an alternative fuel or energy source.
Starting in the Tuzla Bay area, Turkish builder Bogazici is closely identified with the prolific output of tugs and small craft. The completion of its new Altinova yard at Yalova in 2020 extended the company’s market reach in terms both of vessel type and size, as exemplified by the success in attracting the Dutch order.
