Belgium-headquartered ship owner and operator Boeckmans has announced that it is ordering a series of four 5,000 dwt general cargo vessels from Dung Quat shipyard in Vietnam. The diesel-electric vessels are expected to be capable of operating on hydrogen fuel or other alternative fuels in the future, according to an announcement by Boeckmans with project partner, CMB.Tech, the clean fuel subsidiary of CMB.

The first vessel in the series is expected to be delivered in the second half of 2025. The vessels are expected to achieve a 40% reduction in emissions compared with traditional general cargo vessels operating in diesel mode. 

The series of general cargo vessels, designed jointly with Handelskade, will contain diesel-electric engines placed under the ship’s forward accommodation. The vessel design will make space available at the stern for the installation of alternative fuel based propulsion systems, such as hydrogen-burning engines. In addition, there will be ample space available for storage of these alternative fuel sources.

The Motorship notes that the announcement did not specify whether the vessels would include dual-fuel engines capable of operating on conventional diesel fuel combined with hydrogen as fuel, or whether the vessels would require conversion to operate on hydrogen fuel blends once in service.