Damen completes first diesel-electric inland barge build for Sendo Shipping

Damen Shipyards has built the first diesel-electric Sendo Liner inland barge for Sendo Shipping, to transport high cube containers on inland waterways between Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Groningen in the Netherlands.

The 110 x 11.4m (361 x 37.4ft) vessel is powered by two 435kW Volvo Penta diesel gensets, electric motors and a 564kWh Green Orca lithium-ion battery pack from EST-Floattech. Oechies and Holland Ship Propulsion acted as system integrators. “Sendo Liner will use 30% less energy than other 110m vessels,” said Sebastiaan van der Meer, managing director, Sendo Shipping. “It will also cut energy consumption and CO2 emissions by 40% per TEU.”

The hybrid barge’s hull design, which sees a new tunnel form improve the flow of water to the impellers, also contributes to the low energy consumption. “The hull makes it possible to sail without emissions in battery power for up to three hours at a speed of 13km/h (8mph),” added van der Meer. “We can even run the entire route on a single generator when weather permits. The battery pack will compensate for peak power demand.”

The batteries, which can be charged by excess power generated by the vessel while under normal operation, can also power Sendo Liner while in terminal, further reducing emissions and generator consumption under operating conditions.

And according to van der Meer, the modularity of the electric propulsion system has future-proofed the vessel for years to come. “Once a company starts offering interchangeable battery containers, we’ll be able to connect a container directly to the system so that the vessel can sail emission-free for longer, or maybe even all the time. In a few years, we might even be able to install a hydrogen fuel cell to provide the power.”