Sustainability between Dordrecht and Rotterdam

October 15, 2012

Ingrid de Bondt, Deputy of Transport of the Dutch province of South Holland, had the honour of christening the Merwededam, a new ferry complementing the existing fleet of ferry public transport network Waterbus. The ceremony took place in Dordrecht, the Netherlands, on 28 September 2012. The Merwededam operates several ferry routes between Rotterdam and Dordrecht and the Drechtsteden.

The 23 metre long passenger vessel was designed by Sterling Design International and built by Alu Marine, both residing in France. The double ended ferry has the particularity of being able to move equally in both directions without having to turn around, reducing the operating time and fuel consumption. The wheelhouse offers a 360-degree view to the pilot and is equipped with a twin steering console and a swivelling seat for manoeuvring from either side. The aluminum catamaran Merwededam, classified by Bureau Veritas, is very light, which together with the hull design makes low water resistance. This means lighter engines can be used, ensuring low power consumption and very good manoeuvrability, thanks to the two 160 hp Veth azimuth thrusters, driven by Sisu engines. Fuel consumption savings of 33% compared to the current Waterbus ferries have been achieved and furthermore, the superstructure is not painted but partially stickered and in many aspects recycled materials were used. The ferry is equipped with only LED-lighting and the choice for aluminum allows for fewer maintenance materials. All of these contribute to the sustainable character of the passenger vessel. The Merwededam is equipped with four mobile platforms on each side, which will enable the passengers to embark and disembark quickly and safely on either bank, and she can carry up to 200 passengers and 80 bikes.

Gail van den Hanenberg

Main features
Name: Merwededam
Type: Passenger ferry
Builder: Alu Marine, France
Owner: Waterbus, the Netherlands
Length overall: 23 m
Overall beam: 8.20 m
Overall draft: 1.70 m
Speed: 11.8 knots
Engine: Sisu engine 66 CTIM
Passengers: 200
Seats: 25
Crew: 3
Bikes: 80