The naming ceremony for the vessel took place in Druten in the Netherlands on 30 October.
The vessel, which has been developed in close cooperation with the company’s long-standing business partner, VESTOLIT, will transport sodium hydroxide between the western German canal system and the ARA ports for the chemical company.
What sets the “Monomera” apart is its focus on sustainable technologies, optimised load-carrying capacity and energy concepts. It is equipped to handle climate-neutral, future energy sources.
In the presence of the ship’s godmother, Sandra Seyer from VESTOLIT, HGK Shipping officially put the “Monomera” into service in the Dutch province of Gelderland; the vessel will operate for HGK Shipping’s Liquid Chemicals business unit from now on.
Designed to transport a maximum payload capacity of 1,809 tonnes, the vessel, which is 100 metres long and 9.5 metres wide, is equipped with a diesel-electric drive concept.
When combined with an intelligent power management system, this provides particularly low-emission operations with optimised fuel consumption. Two empty areas integrated into the vessel’s hull, so-called void spaces, also provide room for future energy storage solutions. As a result, the new tanker is prepared to use climate-neutral energy sources as soon as they are available.
HGK Shipping has made use of the latest computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods when developing the “Monomera” in order to reduce the resistance caused by water and maximise energy efficiency. One of the main innovations on this vessel is its optimised draught, allowing it to transport a load weighing up to 348 tonnes with a draught of just 1.20 metres, even if water levels are low. Two rudder propellors, each developing 500 kW of drive power, ensure outstanding manoeuvrability, making the vessel particularly suitable for service on canals and cost-effective operations in difficult water conditions.
“With the ‘Monomera’, we’re setting a clear course toward the future of sustainable inland waterway transport. It’s another step in our construction strategy for new vessels, aimed at preparing our fleet for climate-neutral drive systems as part of the energy transition and setting the stage for programme implementation,” says Steffen Bauer, the CEO of HGK Shipping.
The vessel’s design was developed at HGK Shipping’s Design Centre, which worked in close cooperation with Koninklijke Wijnhoff & Van Gulpen & Larsen B.V., a Dutch subsidiary of HGK Shipping in Druten. The Severnav shipyard in Romania completed the construction of the hull before the Dutch shipyard, De Gerlien van Tiem B.V., which is a long-standing partner of HGK Shipping, took over responsibility for the final interior fitting work up to the time that the vessel was commissioned.
Norbert Meixner, the Business Unit Director Liquid Chemicals at HGK Shipping, who will be responsible for the new vessel in his unit in future, adds, “Our long-standing cooperation with VESTOLIT is based on shared values of sustainability and innovations. As a result, we’ve been able to successfully and efficiently complete this project and, acting as a strong business partner for this industry, guarantee reliable supply chains even during phases when water levels are low.”