German shipowners Reederei Wessels and HS Shipping Group (HS Schiffahrt) have contracted Dutch shipbuilder Damen to build fuel-efficient mini-bulkers.

Both owners have each ordered two 3，850 dwt Damen combi freighter vessels of the CF 3850 design for an undisclosed price.

HS Shipping Group as well as Reederei Wessels are repeat customers with Damen Shipyards， having previously ordered container feeders and combi freighters，and general cargo vessels， respectively.

Damen said its newly designed 98.7m vessel is capable of maintaining more than 10 knots of speed in headwinds when fully loaded， adding that its redesigned hull demands less power than comparable vessels.

“Most of the short sea vessels are over ten years old. Environmental demands by IMO as well as the EU have gotten stricter. Excellent performance of the CF 3850 at the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) positions this vessel to live up to current and future emission standards. This makes the vessel a sound investment， as it can operate for years to come to perform at great efficiency，” Damen stated in a release.

There are four CF 3850 vessels with the upgraded design in operation， with 13 on order. They will be built in series at the Damen Yichang Shipyard in China.