Damen Shipyards Group delivered the second of four Combi Freighter (CF) 3850 vessels to Reederei Bernd Sibum on 25 March after the ship completed sea trials in Shanghai. The series is being built at Damen Yichang Shipyard in China.

The first vessel in the quartet was handed over at the beginning of February and is now on its maiden voyage to Norway with a project cargo on board.

The latest-generation CF 3850 design is intended to offer high efficiency, with the vessels able to run on 100% biofuel in their standard configuration and built ready for hybrid propulsion. Reederei Bernd Sibum has also secured German government funding to add further sustainability features to the ships.

That support comes through the NaMKü programme, short for Nachhaltige Modernisierung von Küstenschiffen, awarded by the Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV). The scheme aims to reduce the environmental impact of short sea shipping. Funding for the vessels’ green upgrades is being shared by the NaMKü programme and the owner, with Mare Trust AG of Oldenburg, Germany, leading on the equity side.

As part of these upgrades, all four ships will be equipped with hybrid propulsion incorporating a PTO/PTI system, allowing zero-emission sailing for limited periods, while shore power connections will also be installed for use in port.

The vessels are also due to receive Econowind Ventifoils, which are expected to cut fuel consumption by a further 12.5%. The first ship is scheduled to have these fitted at Damen Shiprepair Harlingen soon after reaching Europe.

For this project, Damen used Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing for onboard systems and automation. By linking the physical hardware intended for the vessels to a virtual environment, the yard was able to test, adjust, and validate systems before construction, aiming to improve commissioning efficiency and performance from delivery onward.

The CF 3850 vessels are also being fitted with Damen Triton, an internet of things (IoT) system that gathers and analyses data from thousands of sensors across the ships. This is intended to help operators optimise voyages in real time while also feeding back into future vessel design.

Reederei Bernd Sibum Managing Director, Bern Sibum said: “With these vessels, it was our intention to actively pursue improvement. This meant doing something to safeguard the environment, but also to create a vessel that was advantageous to charterers and comfortable for crew. When we presented our ideas to Damen, they were very professional. They listened closely to what we had to say and very quickly came back with a proposal to meet our goals.

“I was also very impressed on visiting Damen’s location in China,” he continued. “The facility is of a very high standard and the workforce is very positive and committed. The collaboration between the colleagues in Yichang, the Netherlands, and our team has worked very well, and has been an important factor in the high quality and finish of the vessels.”

Remko Bouma, Commercial Director, Damen Cargo Vessels, added: “From the very start, our cooperation with Reederei Bernd Sibum has been very good. I’m particularly grateful to the company for our positive discussions, including on how we could do some things differently. To get the operator’s perspective on these matters is invaluable for us as shipbuilders, and will contribute enormously to the continued development of our designs.”