REFIT & CONVERSIONS
Conversion Münsterland at Royal Niestern Sander IN JULY 2020, ROYAL NIESTERN SANDER SIGNED AN AGREEMENT FOR THE CONVERSION OF PASSENGER SHIP MÜNSTERLAND. ROYAL NIESTERN SANDER RECEIVED A CONTRIBUTION FOR THIS INNOVATIVE PROCESS FROM THE EUROPEAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUND OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROYAL WAGENBORG/NIESTERN SANDER.
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oyal Niestern Sander will design and build a completely new aft ship for the passenger ship from 1986, including dual fuel engines, LNG storage tanks, propulsion systems, all LNG installations, pipelines, and other systems. This completely new stern will replace the Münsterland’s existing stern. Thanks to its expertise and facilities, the shipyard has a conversion method in mind that offers the possibility of reducing the idle time of an existing ship – and therefore the loss of income – to a minimum.
means a reduction in fuel consumption and noise. The vessel will still remain in service during these activities.
Shipbuilding and ship repair
New milestone
Shipyard Royal Niestern Sander has been designing, building, and repairing ships since 1901. They also specialise in complex customerfocused ship conversions and in building heavy constructions according to the NEN1090 standard. Niestern Sander’s project approach is based on the company’s two pillars of shipbuilding and ship repair. Due to this combination, most conversion operations take place at the shipbuilding yard.
Going green
Thanks to the LNG conversion, the Münsterland will start using a much less polluting fuel, which will significantly reduce emissions. The new shape of the stern will also reduce the hull resistance. As a result, the ship needs less engine power to sail at the same speed, which
With the Münsterland, Royal Niestern Sander can demonstrate the economic feasibility of an LNG conversion in practice, thanks to its unique conversion method. It also shows how to solve space limitation when converting an existing ship. The Münsterland will be put back into service in its new form by AG Ems in the summer of 2021.
The Münsterland conversion takes place in the shipyard of Niestern Sander.
Well under way in this project, the Royal Niestern Sander shipyard installed the new aft ship on the passenger ship in the beginning of this year. This completely newly designed and built aft ship contains the dual fuel engines, the LNG storage tank, propulsion, all LNG installations, pipes, and other systems. The old aft ship was removed and transported on a pontoon to Groningen for recycling. The aft ship, built by the yard’s shipbuilding department, was transported from the innerdike location to the dock location by the same pontoon. Upon arrival at the dock, the new stern with modular trailers was driven from the pontoon into the dock and placed in position behind the Münsterland. i. niesternsander.com The old aft ship was removed and transported on a pontoon to Groningen for recycling.
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