Two new Dutch WASP coasters

Dutch shipbuilder Holland Shipyards Group has christened two new 3,800 dwt wind-supported diesel-electric coasters, ordered by Dutch company Hartel Shipping and Chartering.

The double christening ceremony for the multi-purpose newbuildings took place on 17 April 2025 at the Werkendam shipyard.

The newbuild vessels, Waalvliet and Rijnvliet, are part of a new series of short sea coasters built on behalf of Hartel Shipping & Chartering, part of the Hudig & Veder Group. The order for a total of three identical sister ships was already placed in December 2022.

The newly launched vessels are purpose-built to meet the operational requirements of the European coastal shipping market and combine flexibility, cargo efficiency and ‘robust’ construction, according to Holland Shipyards Group.

Designed by Conoship International, the 89.42-metre Waalvliet and Rijnvliet are equipped to carry a wide range of cargoes across Europe. Each vessel has an intermediate deck for greater flexibility for project cargoes and a cargo hold of 5,530 m³. The vessels can carry bulk, general cargo and containers.

In addition, the coasters are equipped with fuel-efficient diesel-electric propulsion and are designed to facilitate future upgrades to more sustainable propulsion technologies. In addition, the newbuildings are equipped with sails for wind-assisted propulsion, supplied by Dutch wind-assisted ship propulsion supplier Econowind.

This future-proof design, they say, underlines both companies’ ambition to reduce environmental impact in the maritime logistics sector.
The Waalvliet and Rijnvliet are the second and third vessels in the Vliet series, following the delivery of Maasvliet in February 2025.

Maasvliet is specially designed for offshore cable storage operations. The vessel is chartered by Subsea Environmental Services to salvage and recycle subsea cables.
Maasvliet was launched in January at the shipyard in Nantong, China, after which it was shipped to Rotterdam together with sister ship Rijnvliet. In Hardinxveld, Giesendam, Holland Shipyard Group completed the final outfitting and commissioning work, after which the vessel was delivered to Hartel Shipping in the same month.

Source: an article by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak in Offshore-energy.
Photo: Holland Ship Yards.

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