Shipping company Erik Thun Group has revealed its next-generation short sea vessel series of Lake Vanern Max. The four dry cargo vessels will be built at Shipyard Ferus Smit in the Netherlands.
‘We are making a substantial investment to support our customers’ transportation needs and thereby strengthening our position even further on the short sea market and on the Lake Vanern traffic,’ says senior charterer Jens Bäckström.
The four vessels are built as per max dimension at present locks up to Lake Vanern, but are prepared to be lengthened when new locks are in force within a period of seven to eight years. The vessels will be delivered by Ferus Smit from September 2024 and onwards.
Also read: Erik Thun orders eight new vessels at Ferus Smit
Batteries and shore power
With these vessels, Erik Thun is taking another step towards sustainable shipping and minimising emissions. The Lake Vanern Max is equipped with a battery pack, making it a hybrid vessel. The battery power is utilised for peak shaving and power smoothening, reducing the reliance on auxiliary engines for electricity generation and can stay at anchor without using auxiliary engines.
Shore connection enables clean and silent port operations and allows the vessel to shut down all engines onboard, eliminating emissions during port stays.
Also read: Future-fuel ready engines for new Erik Thun tankers
Minimised installed engine power
At the heart of the Lake Vanern Max lies a propulsion system designed for superior performance with a large diameter propeller operating within a nozzle. This configuration delivers increased thrust, particularly at lower speeds, resulting in reduced power demand during challenging seaways like Göta Älv and icebreaking operations.
As a result, the installed main engine power can be minimised while maintaining optimal performance and meet the stringent requirements of Ice Class 1B. With the combinator mode and variable propeller, the fully automatic system constantly selects the optimal load point, maximising propeller efficiency and reducing fuel consumption.
Erik Thun Group has implemented various measures to reduce electrical consumption aboard the Lake Vänern Max and will harness excess energy with cooling water heat exchangers in both the main and auxiliary engines.
Main characteristics of the Lake Vanern Max are:
- Length overall: 89 metres
- Breath moulded: 13.35 metres
- Draught: 6.24 metres
- Deadweight: 5100 tonnes
- Hold volume: 206.000 cbft
- Ice Class 1B (Finnish Swedish)
Also read: Ferus Smit launches first Ecobox XL Symphony Atlantic
