The GAS 95 will now be sailing on the Rhine in HGK red and, for the first time, in bright green. With the new paintwork, the sustainable approach of the ship's design can be seen from afar, which is further emphasized by the "Driving Sustainability" lettering on the port and starboard sides.

Based on the newbuildings already commissioned and designed by HGK Shipping in recent months and the experience gained with them, the GAS 95 also has a diesel-electric drive. The good performance of the GAS 94, which has been strengthening the company's gas fleet for more than two years, contributed to the decision. The diesel-electric drive reduces the CO2 emissions of the gas tanker by up to 30 percent per tonne-kilometer compared to the benchmarks for inland shipping.

Emissions of particulate matter and other pollutants are also significantly reduced. The installed power management system has recently been further refined, further reducing fuel consumption. Like other newbuildings from the HGK Shipping Design Center, the "GAS 95" is already prepared for the technological developments of the future and can be described as "future-fuel-ready".

Optimum draught

At the same time, the ship is characterized by its enormously flexible deployment options. The GAS 95 is the first gas tanker which, even in its standard dimensions of 110 meters in length and 11.45 meters in width, impresses with an extremely optimized draught and is still suitable for canal transport. This ensures the continuous transportation of goods on the Rhine, even during periods of low water. With a maximum load capacity of more than 2,300 cubic meters, the ship can carry more than 300 tons even with a draught of 1.30 meters and can therefore still pass well-known bottlenecks such as Kaub or Oestrich even at very critical water levels. The minimum draught is even lower and unique for the specification of the ship. The new gas tanker will be deployed between the ARA ports of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp and various stations on the Rhine.

"The GAS 95 therefore meets the highest environmental and safety standards. This enables us to provide our customers with the next building block for a more sustainable and reliable supply chain via the waterway," says Anke Bestmann, Managing Director of HGK Gas Shipping. "We are doing everything we can to continuously improve and sustainably expand our gas fleet. As proof of our efforts, we have already had some ships certified with the Green Award for the promotion of cleaner and safer inland shipping. We are also planning to do this for the GAS 95 in the coming months."

HGK Gas Shipping also regularly scores highly in the rating of the independent and internationally recognized CSR rating agency EcoVadis with its continuous efforts in the area of sustainability. In 2023, it achieved gold status, just two points short of platinum. The next low-water-optimized diesel-electric newbuild for the gas fleet has already been commissioned with the GAS 96. Others are also being planned