Erik Thun Group's newest ice-capable cargo ship hits the water

Dutch shipbuilder Ferus Smit has floated out a new dry cargo vessel ordered by Swedish shipping company the Erik Thun Group.

Tidan is the fourth unit in a new series of six dry cargo vessels to be fitted with a hybrid propulsion system consisting of batteries and engines that run on traditional fuel. Lidan, the first ship in the series, was delivered last year.

Upon completion, the ship will have an LOA of 89 metres, a moulded beam of 13.35 metres, a draught of 6.24 metres, a deadweight of 5,100, and approximately 5,830 cubic metres of total cargo hold space.

The hull was built in compliance with Finnish/Swedish Ice Class 1B requirements, and the optimised bow design also allows the vessel to carry significantly more cargo with lower energy consumption. This can be achieved even when navigating many restricted waterways in Sweden such as Lake Vanern and the various canals and locks that flow out into the North Sea.

Design work on Tidan and its sisters was undertaken to enable the Erik Thun Group to address its clients’ priorities of fuel efficiency, electrical innovation, and maximum cargo capacity.

The owner has therefore also implemented various measures to reduce electrical consumption aboard the vessel, and one such measure will harness excess energy using cooling water heat exchangers fitted in both the main and auxiliary engines.