Shipbuilding in Europe as a “strategic decision”: Ferus Smit has now delivered almost 50 ships to the Erik Thun Group. The next, visually remarkable transverse launch has now taken place at the Leer site in East Frisia.
The “Thun Renew” is the third of eight ships in the so-called R-class that Erik Thun ordered from Ferus Smit. The launch was immediately followed by the christening. The “Thun Resource” and “Thun Reliance” have already been delivered.
For the shipping group, owned by the Källsson family since 1938 and active in MPP, drybulk and tanker shipping with various subsidiaries, the European-built “Thun Renew” embodies the group’s “long-term vision: investments in quality, efficiency and design that will last for decades”.
“We always plan and design for the entire life of the ship. By making the best, leading and most sustainable investment decisions possible today, we ensure that the R-Class will remain relevant for more than 20 years of operation,” said Joakim Lund, Chief Commercial Officer at Thun Tankers.
Details of the Thun newbuildings
Length overall: 114.95 m
Width: 15.87 m
GT: 4,830
Load capacity: 7,999 t
Cargo tank capacity: 9500 m³
Ice class 1A (Finnish-Swedish)
“A ship is truly successful when it helps our customers grow their business while reducing their environmental footprint,” said Johan Källsson, Managing Director of the Erik Thun Group. “This is exactly the balance we have achieved with the R-Class. Efficiency without compromise.” By building in Europe, the aim is to ensure high quality, reliability and sustainability, with the ship being delivered in close proximity to the operational market. CCO Lund continues: “It is a strategic decision that gives both us and our customers confidence in a changing world.”
The shipyard group, which has sites in Leer and Westerbroek in the Netherlands, has built almost 50 ships for the Scandinavian shipping company, “a collaboration that has shaped northern European shipping for generations”, according to a statement from Erik Thun. However, Erik Thun also has newbuildings from Asia: the last order was placed in China in 2022.
