Thun Bolsters Short-Sea Fleet Investment

The latest round of contracts comprises an additional two 5,100dwt multi-purpose cargo vessels maximised for trade to Swedish inland ports on Lake Vanern, plus another two 7,999dwt tankers of the battery-hybrid R-class.

The new transaction increases the LakeVanernMAX-designated newbuild series to six, and the R-class production to eight vessels.

The 14-ship construction schedule is mainly concentrated at Ferus Smit’s Westerbroek headquarters yard near Groningen, on the Winschoterdiep waterway, although some of the newbuilds have been assigned to the Dutch builder’s yard at Leer, just across the border in Germany. The lead ship in the new generation of tankers, Thun Resource, was side-launched from the Leer premises in November.

The 89m LakeVanernMAX dry cargo traders offer operational versatility throughout the north European market, while being optimised for navigation into the Swedish lakes system, which is accessed via the Gota Alv River and Trollhattan Canal.

The canal and fairways sustain year-round shipping to and from industry on Lake Vanern, and the new coasters will accordingly bear 1B ice class elements and certification. The main engine has a rated output less than 2,000kW and a battery installation will enable peak shaving. The coaster design has been conceived to facilitate lengthening after the projected completion of new locks on the canal by the early part of the next decade.

The 115m R-type tankers offer a cargo capacity of 9,540m³ and are a derivation of the preceding E-class commissioned by Thun Tankers from Ferus Smit between 2018 and 2021. Reinforced and fitted to Finnish-Swedish 1A ice class standard, the newbuilds’ trading capability ensures unfettered, all-year Baltic navigation.

The adaptive propulsive system will minimise energy usage through recourse to a UPS(uninterruptible power supply) battery pack. Each has been specified with a small-bore, Wartsila medium-speed engine of around 1,950kW, which has been designed to give the option for operation on cleaner, future fuels. In the announcement of its latest order for seventh and eighth R-type tankers, Thun made reference to “our methanol-ready Resource Efficiency Class”.

Series leader Thun Resource will enter a five-year charter to the Swedish oil refiner Nynas, which has a strong market presence in naphthenic speciality products(NSP) and bitumen. Reflecting Nynas’ particular requirements and input to the early design stages, Thun Resource embodies certain cargo section differences compared to the subsequent R-type newbuilds. Technical management and manning has been assigned to MF Shipping Group of Farmsun.

Ferus Smit has supplied a considerable number of tankers and cargo vessels to the Kallsson family-owned Thun Group over the years, and the Swedish organisation has a strong Dutch presence through its Farmsum-based Thun Tankers division, and predominant use of Dutch registry as well as recourse to the Dutch shipmanagement sector.

In addition to the 14 vessels to come from Ferus Smit, the Thun Group has a 17,999dwt product carrier on order with China Merchants Jinling Shipyard(formerly AVIC Dingheng), due to enter service this year. She is a repeat of the 2018-delivered Thun Vanern, one of a number of such newbuilds booked by various Swedish owners for commercial operation within the Gothia Tanker Alliance.

Thun’s overall 15-ship programme means sustained renewal and development of the fleet over the four-year period 2024 to 2027.

“We are proud to lead the way in maritime innovation by introducing both the R-class series and the LakeVanernMAX vessels that set a new standard in efficiency, performance and sustainability, for example equipped with battery packs and ready for shore electricity connection. These series exemplify our unwavering commitment to sustainable shipping and pave the way for a greener and more prosperous future,” stated Erik Thun deputy managing director Henrik Kallsson.