Decarbonisation of the maritime industry will take a collaborative effort, and include all the sectors of the industry pulling their own weight. CMB.TECH and Boeckmans have decided to make their contribution with the development of four future-proof, hydrogen-powered 5,000 dwt general cargo vessels with reduced greenhouse emissions. 

The first vessel is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2025. The vessels will be built at the Dung Quat shipyard in Vietnam and deployed on major sea routes, including northern Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and West Africa.

The design

The general cargo vessel, designed jointly with Handelskade, will contain diesel-electric engines placed under the ship’s forward accommodation. This configuration will make the stern available for pioneering propulsion systems, such as hydrogen (but other alternative low-carbon engines can be installed as well). In addition, there will be ample space available for storage of these alternative fuel sources.

“The ship’s primary design philosophy is to achieve lower emissions through hull shaping, innovative design and the application of the latest technologies. We succeeded in reducing emissions by 40 per cent compared to traditional general cargo vessels in diesel mode. This can be reduced even further by implementing new sustainable propulsion systems and creating storage space for fuels such as hydrogen. The ship’s diesel-electric configuration simplifies the integration of new systems into the power grid,” director of Boeckmans, Pierre Durot, said.

“Through our partnership with Boeckmans, we are once again breaking new ground in maritime sustainability. Our commitment to reducing emissions through the design of these cargo ships is a huge step forward. By embracing innovative propulsion systems such as hydrogen, we are not just building ships; we are working toward a greener future for global trade routes,” CEO of CMB.TECH, Alexander Saverys said.