Naval architects are having to get creative to overcome droughts plaguing inland waterways.
With Europe’s rivers experiencing parched conditions over repeated summers, ever more shallow draft vessels are needed to move goods across the continent.
Taking up the challenge has been Stolt Tankers, which has recently started operating the very low water inland tanker Stolt Ludwigshafen, a ship that is capable of passing the critical point in the river Rhine near Kaub with a cargo payload of 800 tonnes even at a gauge level of just 30 cm.
The ship is the result of a successful partnership between BASF, Stolt Tankers, Mercurius Shipping Group, and a consortium consisting of Duisburger Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme, Technolog Services GmbH, and Agnos Consulting.
The tanker has a unique design: to achieve a high load-bearing capacity, the dimensions of the new ship are 135 m by 17.5 m, which is considerably larger than conventional tankers on the Rhine. To further optimise the cargo capacity, the hull features a special lightweight construction while ensuring high structural stability. Additionally, the ship has a hydrodynamically optimised hull, and a special propulsion system adapted to allow safe operation even under extreme low-water conditions.
Overall, the Stolt Ludwigshafen will feature a maximum loading capacity of 5,100 tonnes.
Lucas Vos, president of Stolt Tankers, said: “This exciting project demonstrates Stolt Tankers’ commitment to developing new technologies and ship designs for a sustainable maritime industry. I am proud of the team involved in bringing the vision for a tanker that can operate at the lowest water levels on the Rhine to life. We are looking forward to operating the Stolt Ludwigshafen exclusively for BASF and contributing to the security of its supply chain in the region.”
Uwe Liebelt, president, European Verbund Sites, BASF, added: “Following the extreme low water levels on the Rhine in 2018, we initiated an extensive programme to improve climate resilience at the Ludwigshafen site.”
The resulting tanker, Liebelt said, was an excellent example of how Europe can take technology-leading positions in certain industries.
