The KNVTS has revealed the three nominees for the Ship of the Year Award 2025. They are: research vessel (RV) Wim Wolff, built by Royal T Shipyards,superyacht Breakthrough, built by Royal van Lent and Combat Support Ship Den Helder built by Damen Naval.
All submitted ships were assessed by the jury after receiving supplied information. From these, the three most qualified for the award remained. A nice diversity in categories that makes the battle both interesting and complicated. The ship that wins the prestigious award will be this year’s figurehead of Dutch shipbuilding.
In summary, all three ships are paragons of innovative strength, customisation, sustainability and bold approach of Dutch shipbuilding. The KNVTS will present the award at the Maritime Awards Gala on 3 November 2025 in Rotterdam Ahoy.
Wim Wolff
Research vessel Wim Wolff, built by Royal T Shipyards (formerly Thecla Bodewes Shipyards) for the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ) has replaced research vessel RV Navicula after forty years of service. RV Wim Wolff is equipped to facilitate high-quality marine research in Dutch waters, especially in the Wadden Sea and the Zeeland Delta. This vessel will provide Dutch coastal researchers with a versatile, modern and sustainable research vessel for decades to come. The expected service life of RV Wim Wolff will exceed thirty years.
With a length of 37 metres and a shallow draught of 1 metre, the RV Wim Wolff is a unique vessel. With an aluminium hull and accommodation, the vessel is also equipped with an impressive range of deck equipment that can be used for various research purposes. Specifically for research in the Wadden Sea, the RV Wim Wolff has the ability to easily go aground for extended periods of time, with batteries providing the vessel with the necessary energy to continue operating the ship’s equipment.
Also read: NIOZ christens RV Wim Wolff
Using a sustainable diesel-electric propulsion system combined with an advanced battery pack, RV Wim Wolff has minimal energy consumption and emissions. Unlike similar vessels, the RV Wim Wolff uses hydrotreated vegetable oils, also known as HVO, as fuel for the generator sets. This 100 per cent synthetic fuel is made from bio-products and is suitable for diesel engines.
Royal T Shipyards developed a modular energy concept with propulsion independent of fuel type. This allows the use of alternative energy systems without the need for major conversion of the ship as new technologies and energy sources become available.
By balancing propeller and engine speed, propeller noise and vibration are significantly reduced. This also contributes to the quality of the research that can be conducted aboard RV Wim Wolff.
Also read: What makes the new research vessel Wim Wolff sustainable?
Breakthrough
Superyacht Breakthrough, formerly known as Project 821, is the world’s first hydrogen fuel-cell superyacht. At 118.80 metres, the yacht also boasts the title of largest motor yacht ever launched in the Netherlands. RWD designed the yacht, while Feadship built it.
Five years in the making, innovation-packed Breakthrough is the answer to its owners’ inquiry: ‘What kind of green technology can you include?’, states Feadship on its website. Feadship’s response was a multi-faceted, zero-diesel approach designed to cruise between harbours and to operate the yacht’s hotel load and amenities with emission-free power from green hydrogen.
Although hydrogen fuel cells are used in other industries, there were no regulations for hydrogen storage and fuel-cell systems at class, flag-state or even IMO level for maritime use. Seeking expert partners from allied industries, Feadship, owner’s representative Edmiston and Lloyd’s Register developed appropriately scaled equipment, protocols and safety regulations simultaneously.
Also read: Feadship fuel-cell superyacht completes sea trials
From the beginning, one of the biggest hurdles would be developing a reasonable way to store compressed liquid hydrogen below deck at -253°C aboard a luxury yacht. Safely storing it on a vessel requires a double-walled cryogenic storage tank and it takes eight to ten times more space to store hydrogen than the energy equivalent in diesel fuel. In total, the cryogenic fuel tank that holds 92 m2 (some 4 tonnes) of hydrogen on Breakthrough, the sixteen compact fuel cells, their switchboard connection to the DC electrical grid, and the vent stacks for the escaping water vapour added four metres to the yacht’s original specification length.
Breakthrough cannot carry enough liquid hydrogen to power a crossing. That is why Feadship chose to impact a yacht’s carbon footprint where it is largest — generating electricity to serve the hotel load. For longer travels or when pure hydrogen is not available, the electricity powering the 3200 kW ABB pod drives comes from MTU generators combusting HVO, a second-generation biofuel that reduces harmful emissions by ninety per cent.
The fuel cells developed can also use easier-to-store methanol, a liquid fuel in ambient conditions. Steam reforms methanol into hydrogen before the electrochemical reaction in the fuel cell. The yacht also features batteries, a waste heat recovery system and energy management system to bring down emissions further.
Also read: Feadship launches 100-metre custom-superyacht
CSS Den Helder
The Den Helder was built at Damen Shipyards’ yard in Galaţi, Romania. 48 months after the first steel was cut, the vessel left for the Netherlands in mid-November 2024. This voyage was also immediately the trial run with the first sailing tests. The vessel is now in Vlissingen where Damen Naval is putting the finishing touches to the ship. It will then sail to Den Helder for, among other things, the installation of weapon systems and sensors.
The CSS is designed for global deployment and can also be used for humanitarian aid and the transport of goods. The vessel will be equipped with a Role 2 medical facility. The nearly 180-metre-long ship will accommodate a core crew of 76, with space for an additional eighty personnel.
Also read: Princess Amalia christens Combat Support Ship Den Helder
The new ship is designed to sustain a task force of six vessels at sea, even in adverse weather conditions, by supplying fuel, food, water, ammunition, and other essential goods. To support this role, the CSS can carry more than eight million litres of fuel.
The Den Helder is efficiently laid out and highly automated. As a result, fewer crew members are needed. The ship uses less energy and can stay at sea longer. In addition, the Den Helder has online condition monitoring. This minimises time in a maintenance dock.
Virtual reality also plays a role. The ship has been digitally recreated to allow training even before the vessel is commissioned.
Also read: VIDEO: Combat Support Ship in Den Helder for first time
