Volvo Penta has contributed to a project with shipyard Concordia Damen and operator Sendo Shipping to deliver the first battery-hybrid inland barge – the Sendo Liner, the company said in its release.
Now the container ship has won the prestigious KNVTS Ship of the Year 2019 Maritime Award. Sendo Shipping is a young dynamic operator based in the Netherlands. Its innovative outlook drives the business and its boats. The company has maintained a 24/7 container liner service for more than 15 years between the seaports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Antwerp – as well as various inland terminals in the north of the Netherlands.
Now the company is moving to uncharted waters with the launch of the first battery-hybrid inland barge. The Sendo Liner is a 110m inland container ship operating routes between the North of the Netherlands and the Port of Rotterdam. The boat recently won the prestigious KNVTS Ship of the Year 2019 Maritime Award for its remarkable 40% reduction in CO2 emissions.
The aim of the Sendo Liner is to create a diesel-electric vessel that massively reduces CO2 emissions and is able to sail emissions-free through Rotterdam harbor – a feat that’s rewarded by a waiver on harbor tax. To reach this low emission goal Sendo Shipping focused on three key areas: fuel efficiency, optimized hull design and lower power requirements.
Sendo Shipping discussed several options for the propulsion solution with Koedood Marine Group. Together they designed the whole propulsion line, including its battery bank. Out of several options and brands, the two Volvo Penta D16 engines, with a 450kW output, were chosen as being the best fit and most fuel efficient option. From then on Volvo Penta worked as an advisor to the project. With over 100 years’ experience in marine propulsion and some large pioneering hybrid projects under its belt, Volvo Penta knows how to tailor a solution to a particular vessel and understands the whole boatbuilding process, from design to operation.
These dual engines act as the propulsion and power supply for the entire vessel – charging the Lithium-Ion batteries – which have a total capacity of 564 kWh (the equivalent of seven Volvo XC40 P8 AWD electric cars). The impressive liner can run for two to three hours on battery alone, before switching to diesel mode.
ABOUT VOLVO PENTA
Volvo Penta, with approximately 3,500 dealers in over 130 countries, is a world-leading and global manufacturer of engines and complete power systems for boats, vessels and industrial applications. The engine program comprises diesel and gasoline engines with power outputs of between 10 and 1000 hp. Volvo Penta is part of the Volvo Group, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heavy trucks, buses and construction equipment.