The Lübeck-based shipping company Lehmann is investing in two new short-sea freighters to modernise its fleet. They will be built at Royal Bodewes in the Netherlands.
The shipbuilding company, which is currently implementing newbuild projects at three shipyards, has now announced that Lehmann has ordered two RB 5800 EcoTrader vessels.
These general cargo vessels will be built at the shipyard in Hoogezand and are scheduled for delivery in late 2027 and early 2028. “The order for these two vessels is proof of the good cooperation between Royal Bodewes and Reederei Lehmann. This relationship has been further strengthened by Lehmann’s decision to replace almost its entire fleet with Royal Bodewes vessels,” reads a statement from the Dutch company.
Lehmann gets 5,700-tonner
The new RB 5800 EcoTrader is optimised for Lehmann’s trade and has ice class 1A with the following main features:
- Length: 99.95 m
- Width: 15.20 m
- Draft: 5.95 m
- Load capacity: 5,700 tons
The design has reportedly been optimised to achieve good energy efficiency in terms of speed performance, combined with a large cargo capacity with a single hold.
Bodewes, with a self-proclaimed “Northern Netherlands no-nonsense culture”, has specialised in shortsea and MPP vessels as well as special ships for many years. Its customers have always included a number of German shipowners such as Hartmann, Rörd Braren and Lehmann.
Founded in 1812, the Bodewes family business currently builds its vessels at three shipyards simultaneously in the north of the Netherlands. In addition to the Lehmann ships, the shipyard says it has “a good order backlog for the coming years”, including RoRo ships for French Polynesia as well as several general cargo ships and cement tankers for various shipping companies.
