With a presentation and a tour of the shipyard in Hardinxveld, Holland Shipyards showed its innovative strength in shipbuilding to Dutch Minister Micky Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy on Monday afternoon, 4 September. Accompanied by the envoy to the maritime manufacturing industry Marja van Bijsterveldt, the Minister paid a working visit to the shipyard as part of the drafting of the sector agenda for the maritime manufacturing industry. This sector agenda is to be presented to the government on 26 October.
Holland Shipyards has developed into a shipbuilder, particularly over the past decade, that keeps surprising the market with innovative projects, starting in 2014 with the EDDY tug. The letters EDDY stand for “Efficiency Double-ended Dynamic” and as such, the vessel can sail forward as easily as backward – even the wheelhouse is equipped to that end. At the time, this innovative tug was one of the first that had diesel direct/diesel hybrid propulsion. Early last year, Holland Shipyards presented a fully electric version.
Besides many innovative one-off newbuilding and conversion projects, Holland Shipyards has been particularly successful in recent years in building fully electric ferries for clients in the Netherlands (Amsterdam Municipal Transport Company), Sweden, Norway and Germany.
Holland Shipyards is also currently building two electric ferries for Riveer, the ferry company of nine different towns in three provinces – from Gorinchem and Brakel to Werkendam. With its electric ferries, Holland Shipyards is responding to the energy transition and sustainability of shipping traffic desired by governments with electric, completely emission-free ferries.
Also read: Holland Shipyards kicks off second hydrogen retrofit
3D printed autonomous ferry
Holland Shipyards’ latest project is a fully electric, autonomous ferry for crossing the Seine River in the French capital of Paris. This is a plastic, 3D printed hull with an aluminium and glass superstructure that can carry up to twelve passengers across the river. Recycled material was used for the hull, which can also be reused in the future. Paris plans to present itself as a “green” city during next year’s Olympics with environmentally friendly, zero-emission public transportation, for athletes and visitors to the Olympics.
In December 2022, Holland Shipyards Group, Sequana Développement and Roboat were designated as a winner in a national call for autonomous passenger boat projects initiated by the French inland waterway authority, Voies Navigables de France. To 3D print the ferry, Holland Shipyards partnered with Royal Roos and 10XL, regional suppliers that developed 3D printing for the maritime sector.
Pictures by G.J. de Boer/SWZ|Maritime.
Also read: Holland Shipyards to deliver 3D printed autonomous ferry to Paris
