Damen launches two eco-friendly cargo ships for Fast Lines Belgium

Damen Yichang Shipyard, a Chinese subsidiary of Dutch shipbuilder Damen, has launched the first two 3,800 dwt eco-friendly cargo vessels being built for Belgian logistics company Fast Lines Belgium.

The first vessel was splashed in China on May 19, 2025, and the second on May 30.

Back in October 2023, the two companies signed a contract for the two units. Last year, Fast exercised an option for the third ship.

The 89.7-meter-long and 5.45-meter-wide vessels will be the first newbuilds to join the company’s fleet. Headquartered in Belgium, Fast Lines Belgium also has locations in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Poland.

As explained, Damen has designed the CF 3850 to be optimally fuel efficient. What’s more, the design can be easily adapted to meet client-specific requirements.

For Fast, this includes the installation of a harbor generator and a larger-than-standard shore power connection. As is typical for the short sea sector, Fast’s vessels spend significant amounts of time in port. With this, the CF 3850 vessels will be able to connect to electrical power in ports once infrastructure becomes more widely available, reducing noise and emissions in port.

The company has also opted to increase crane capacity to reduce the manual handling required of its crews. Fast has also amended the layout of the ships to ensure that more storage spaces are accessible by crane.

The vessels also feature Damen Triton IoT solution—thousands of sensors located around the vessel collect data, informing decision making and leading to increased efficiency.

Reflecting on the decision to commission Damen for the project, Fast Lines Belgium Chair Catrien Scheers said the vessels are both fuel-efficient and smart. Thanks to Triton, the company will be able to demonstrate fuel efficiency in real time, according to Scheers.

The CF 3850 vessels will be named for Fast family members—Fast Olivia, Fast Anna Sofia and Fast Gilles.