ForestWave Navigation orders two Ecobox XL vessels from Ferus Smit

Dutch shipping company ForestWave Navigation has contracted two project cargo vessels with Dutch shipbuilder Ferus Smit. Groningen based ForestWave Navigation group was founded in 2003 and commercially operates 35 MPP vessels in the range of 6,000dwt to 12,500dwt. The two Ecobox XL vessels are the first orders ForestWave Navigation has placed with Ferus Smit.

The 12,500dwt vessels are of the Ecobox XL design which enables loading and transporting extra-long items, such as windmill blades while at the same time maintaining capabilities as a normal general cargo ship. The design aims to further enhance the environmental-protection performance with a reduction of its Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) score to a new-class reference standard.

The vessels have a box shaped single hold, including complete movable tweendeck, resulting in large floor space for project cargoes. This allows loading cargoes with a length of 100m and 112m on the tweendeck. They are equipped with two 85-tonne cargo cranes and have ice class 1A. The deckhouse is placed on the fore ship to give shelter to the hold and deck cargoes against severe weather and make it possible to load oversize deck cargoes over the stern. The newbuildings will be fitted with the Ferus Smit bulbless Canoe-type bow, designed to reduce fuel costs and better sustained speed with good sea-keeping behaviour in harsh weather and sea states. They will have a Tier III, 3,300-kW main engine, driving a nozzled controllable pitch propeller running in fully automatic combinator mode. The fuel system will also be suitable for bio blend fuel, with Green Passport standard and ORC waste heat generator integrated in the propulsion system for further reduction of fuel consumption needed in ultra-low EEDI areas.

The vessels are planned for delivery in 2024 and 2025.