Aasen Shipping of Norway which has a fleet of self-discharging cargo ships which call to Irish Ports, has ordered from a Dutch shipyard for three new hybrid powered methanol-ready self-dischargers.

Delivery of the vessels from shipbuilder, Royal Bodewes to Assen Shipping in Mosterhamn, in the south-west of the Nordic nation, is set for December 2025, April 2026 and September 2026 respectively.

The order of the three hybrid newbuilds followed after Royal Bodewes successfully built ‘Aasfjell’ and ‘Aasfoss’, which were delivered in 2021 and 2022.  Afloat highlights that the Aasfjell was the world's first newly built hybrid powered self-discharger.

The shipbuilder's background of Royal Bodewes can be traced for more than 200 years when it was established in 1812. Currently Bodewes employs 100 workers across three production sites. 

Self-Dischargers Main characteristics:

LOA 119,95 m
Beam 15,85 m
Draft 7,50 m
DWAT 9.400 tons
GT 5.700
NT 3.000
Main engine 2250 kW Wartsila 6L25

The ships will have a similar design as the previous new buildings built for Aasen Shipping, however with some upgrades.

They will feature a large battery pack, which will enable peak shaving for both main engine and auxiliary engine. The cargo handling machine will be electric, which will again reduce noise and emissions. In ports where shore power is available, these ships can both self-load and self-discharge completely free of emissions.

The combination of a modern hull, battery pack and variable frequency drive, reduce emissions and fuel consumption to a much lower level than any comparable ships in the market.

Emission-free operations

The ships will hold class notation Methyl/Ethyl alcohol fuelled ready. Once green methanol is available, these ships can easily be rebuilt to consume green methanol. In that case the ships can operate completely emission-free, both in port and at sea.

To become emission-free is the biggest challenge of our generation. These ships are ours and Aasen Shipping’s response to this challenge.

It is the joint goal of the shipowner and builder to utilize the technology available to become emission-free. These ships will cut emissions, reduce fuel costs, and also keep carbon-costs to a minimum.