Joint venture Aqualiner-Swets contracted Damen Shipyards to build 9 new passenger ferries, which are due to provide a public transport service between Rotterdam and Drecht cities (Holland) from 2022.
Aqualiner-Swets is expected to operate the ships on behalf of the Province of South Holland and the Region (aka Waterbus) for a maximum of 15 years as part of a new EU tender contract.
6 of the ferries will be carbon-fiber Waterbuses with hybrid propulsion systems designed to be converted into fully electric ships by 2030 at the latest. They'll serve the fast ferry intercity routes between Sliedrecht, Dordrecht, Rotterdam and Kinderdijk.
The 3 remaining ships will feature all-electric power & propulsion systems and operate as city ferries in Papendrecht, Zwijndrecht, and Dordrecht.
Damen Shipyards has collaborated with Maritime Research Institute Netherlands in order to perform a parametric study and hull optimization to ensure all 9 Waterbuses are efficient in terms of hull design, weight, operational performance, and fuel consumption. The design reduces wake wash in order to prevent the ferries from disrupting those living and working on the water in the regions of operation.