By
Laura Hyde |
Rederij Doeksen’s ferry Willem de Vlamingh has been converted to an LNG hybrid ship following the installation of a 900-kilowatt battery pack.
The ferry operator commissioned Werft Shipbuilding to carry out the conversion and Damen Shiprepair in Harlingen, Netherlands, also carried out numerous upgrades as part of the three-month refurbishment. Technical specialists from Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology and Visserij Coöperatie Urk were also involved in the project.
Permanent magnet generators have been placed on the crankshafts of the main engines and the residual capacity of these engines is converted into electricity, which is stored in the newly installed battery pack. This is then used to power the ship’s catering equipment, lighting, navigation equipment and bow thrusters. Two extra bow thrusters were also installed to improve the ferry’s manoeuvrability in strong winds.
The installation of the new battery pack, which is recharged overnight using shore power to lower fuel consumption, allows passenger embarkation and disembarkation to now take place fully electrically with zero emissions.
Following the refurbishment, Willem de Vlamingh now has two battery banks
“The nice thing about the project was that our own employees came up with the technical concept,” said Jitze Landman, senior fleet inspector at Rederij Doeksen.
When Willem de Vlamingh’s trial journey took place on 16 Apil Landman said: “[It’s] an exciting moment, especially sailing with the new generators on the crankshafts of the main engines. A bit technical perhaps, but this had not been done anywhere in the world on a gas engine. The tests went smoothly and to our complete satisfaction. We would like to become a zero-emission ferry service, and this project is another step in that direction.”
Sister ship Willem Barentsz will undergo the same renovation work in 2026.