AMS Barging Unveils Methanol-Ready Diesel-Electric Tanker | Mariner News
Dutch inland shipping company AMS Barging has christened its new 9,000 m3 diesel-electric tanker Felicitas, bringing its fleet to 17 vessels and signaling a strategic move towards future alternative marine fuels. The 135-meter vessel, christened in Rotterdam on October 16, is specifically designed to accommodate future modifications for methanol bunkering.
This methanol-ready design positions AMS Barging to capitalize on the evolving alternative fuel landscape. Martin van Veen, commercial director at AMS, emphasized, “No one knows exactly what the fuel mix will look like in ten years’ time. We see methanol as one of the important alternatives.” This forward-looking approach suggests an intent to participate directly in the emerging methanol bunkering market.
Felicitas is equipped with diesel-electric propulsion, a system AMS Barging has previously reported yields approximately 25% fuel savings compared to conventionally powered vessels. This operational efficiency underscores a consistent strategy across its fleet, enhancing cost competitiveness in its specialized niche of marine fuel transport and bunkering.
Designed by RensenDriessen Shipbuilding and fitted out by Den Breejen Shipyard, Felicitas features 12 cargo tanks, a dual piping system, two mass flow meters, a nitrogen generator, and a bunker boom with a cargo pumping capacity of 1,800 m3 per hour. The addition follows the christening of its sister vessel, Fortuna, earlier this year, which also employs diesel-electric propulsion.
Following its maiden commercial voyage, Felicitas is now operating on the spot market, immediately contributing to AMS Barging’s capacity and reinforcing its commitment to an evolving, efficiency-driven fleet.
