With the festive christening of BN354 Muria at the yard in Stroobos, Barkmeijer Shipyards completed the construction of a series of 3 diesel-electric shallow draft pushers for client Chemgas Shipping. Sister ships BN349 Maderas and BN350 Merapi were already transferred to Chemgas in May.

The 3 electrically powered push boats are especially suitable for sailing at (very) low water levels. As a result, the pushers fit in perfectly with Chemgas’ ambitious fleet replacement program, in which, in addition to strengthening the fleet, part of the fleet is also made suitable for periods with low water levels.

Unique electric propulsion system
The electric propulsion system – the Eprop® system – is unique to the pusher series, which was developed in close collaboration with D&A Electric. In this case, the electric drive uses 4 small diesel generator sets for the energy supply. The smart Power Management System efficiently manages the energy supply on board and allows an optimal distribution of the generators on both the pusher and barge, ensuring optimum thrust with high performance stability and low fuel consumption.

The use of the Eprop® propulsion also provides better sailing and maneuvering characteristics, which means that you can also sail effectively on fewer generators. The required energy is now supplied by four Caterpillar C18 generator sets, of which 3 are installed on board the pusher and one set on the push barge. For example, the push boat can also sail with only the generator set of the push barge. The Power Management System also ensures that later on it is also possible to sail on emission-free energy sources, such as batteries, fuel cells. These ships are therefore really ready for the future!

KP1250 shallow draft pushers
Chemgas has specifically chosen the KP1250 pusher type because these diesel-electric vessels have a very shallow minimum draft of only 1.20 meters. Low water levels on rivers are increasingly common during dry periods. In order to be able to sail at all times, it is essential for shipowners to have vessels with a shallow draft at their disposal. The Maderas, Merapi and Muria are added to the inland shipping fleet of Chemgas, which operates with its ships from Vlissingen, Rotterdam, Antwerp to Basel.

Practical, smart and innovative vessels
The four shipyards of Thecla Bodewes Shipyards, of which Barkmeijer Shipyards is a part, have more than 300 years of experience in developing and building ships that enable its clients to do business successfully. The Thecla Bodewes innovations are practical, smart and innovative.

15 ships built
The Thecla Bodewes Shipyards yards have built no fewer than 15 ships for Chemgas in recent years. Chemgas is the market leader in the transport of pressurized liquefied gases by sea and inland vessels up to 3500 m3. With the recent deliveries of the Maderas, Merapi and Muria, three future-proof pushers have been added to the Chemgas fleet.