Concordia Damen wins order for 40 inland waterway tank barges

essels will operate on Dutch, Belgian and German canal and river networks.

Damen Shipyard Group’s specialist inland waterways yard, Concordia Damen in Werkendam, Netherlands, has booked a contract for 40 eco-friendly dual fuel self-propelled tank barges.

Ordered by institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, the Parsifal class vessels will be chartered by Shell and operated by the VT Group/Marlow.

Frachtcontor Capital Partners brokered the deal.

Measuring 110 meters by 11.5 meters, the vessels will operate primarily on LNG and will have have extreme shallow draft capabilities—2,800 ton on 3.25-meter draft—in order to maximize cargo carrying capacity on Dutch, Belgian and German canal and river networks.

Martin van Veen, freight trading manager, of Shell explained the choice of Concordia Damen, saying, “Concordia Damen has a proven track record in the delivery of products that are highly efficient and sustainable. In addition, they have demonstrated their capabilities in the delivery of shallow draft vessels – which is of importance to this project. We are looking forward to the collaboration.”

Chris Kornet, CEO Concordia Damen said, “We are very grateful to have received this order and are looking forward to beginning the work. This is yet again a validation of our efforts towards greater levels of sustainability in the inland shipping sector.”

Andy Dacy, Global Head of Transportation at J.P. Morgan Asset Management, said: “We are excited and honored to partner with Shell and Concordia Damen on this innovative and sustainable inland waterway project.”

The VT Group specializes in inland shipping, transporting minerals, chemical products, bio fuels and lubricants.

The Parsifal tankers will transport mineral oils between Antwerp, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and the Rhine network.

Concordia Damen will begin construction of the tankers in December this year. The delivery of the first vessel will be in November 2021. After that, the shipyard will deliver another vessel each month, completing the order by December 2024.