Boeckmans to Build Four Hydrogen-Powered General Cargo Vessels

CMB.TECH and Antwerp-based shipowner Boeckmans have announced plans to build four hydrogen-powered 5,000dwt general cargo vessels.

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 will be deployed on major sea routes, including northern Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and West Africa.

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% compared to traditional general cargo vessels in diesel mode. This can be reduced even further by implementing new sustainable propulsion systems and create storage space for fuels such as hydrogen. The ship's diesel-electric configuration simplifies the integration of new systems into the power grid," said Director of Boeckmans, Pierre Durot.