Concordia Damen wins Ship of the Year

Inland shipping vessel Sendo Liner, built by Concordia Damen, has won the prestigious KNVTS Ship of the Year 2019 Maritime Award, the company said in its release. The award jury highlighted the vessel’s ‘future-proof’ propulsion configuration (diesel-electric supplemented with a battery pack) as a crucial factor in selecting the Sendo Liner as winner. The award was presented at the 2019 Maritime Awards Gala.

The Sendo Liner is an inland shipping container ship with dimensions 110 x 11.45 x 3.2 m (LxWxT). It was designed by Concordia Damen in close collaboration with its client, and owner of the vessel, Sendo Shipping.

During the design of the ship, Concordia Damen and Sendo Shipping paid extensive attention to making the ship as efficient, economical and clean as possible in its task of container transport on inland waterways. The design brief also included the requirement to make the vessel future-proof.

Looking at these characteristics in turn, the Sendo Liner has an optimised layout that has increased its loading capacity by 8% relative to a vessel of similar size. Moreover, the vessel has an innovative ballast system which allows it to increase its air draft when it passes fully loaded under bridges.

The vessel’s propulsion set-up deserves attention; it is diesel-electric backed up with a large battery pack that can be recharged via a shore connection. Compared to similar inland shipping vessels, it is this propulsion configuration in addition to the increased cargo volume and reduced hull resistance that represents a major step forward in terms of fuel efficiency. Indeed, these three factors combined mean that the Sendo Liner achieves a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions per container transported.

On the subject of ‘future-proofing’, Concordia Damen and Sendo Shipping designed the propulsion system so that it will be possible to switch energy sources in a relatively simple manner in the future and to maximise load capacity. This means that the Sendo Liner will be a leader in low-emission operations throughout its entire lifespan.

“We are extremely proud that the Sendo Liner has won the KNVTS Ship of the Year 2019 award. This award is the result of the close and productive cooperation between ourselves and Sendo Shipping. It is our shared vision of increased sustainability that pushed this project forward. We are proud to be working with them,” says Mr Kornet, CEO from Concordia Damen.

 “The Sendo Liner truly is the inland container vessel of the future – characterised by reduced emissions and efficient cargo capacity. More importantly, it is the base for emissions free cargo transport in the ARA area. We have a continuous communication with Sendo Shipping regarding data analysis which will be used for further developments as we head for expected emissions-free delivery in August 2020.”

This KNVTS Ship of the Year award is especially relevant considering that Concordia Damen is currently constructing five vessels from the same design as the Sendo Liner. “This signifies a very attractive option for cargo owners interested in sustainable inland shipping solutions,” concludes Mr Kornet.



Concordia Damen
Concordia Damen’s core business is designing and building inland waterway vessels with an innovative and economic profile. Down-to-earth-management enables us to successfully build vessels worldwide. Besides shipbuilding, we are a reputable shipbroker and manage a fleet of inland navigation vessels. Since the founding of the company, Concordia Damen has delivered more than 140 vessels with very different specifications to ship owners in the Netherlands and all over the world.

Damen Shipyards Group
Damen Shipyards Group operates 35 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,000 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers some 160 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality.

Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology.

Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts.

For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works.

Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.