Today, May 26, 2023, the new low-water inland tanker Stolt Ludwigshafen was christened at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site. The ship’s godmother, Barbara Hoyer, Vice President of BASF, who played a key role in the project, wished the ship and her crew safe sailing with a traditional champagne christening.
The innovative ship is the result of a successful partnership between BASF, Stolt Tankers, Mercurius Shipping Group, and a consortium consisting of Duisburger Entwicklungszentrum für Schiffstechnik und Transportsysteme, Technolog Services GmbH, and Agnos Consulting.
Lucas Vos, President of Stolt Tankers, said: “This exciting project demonstrates Stolt Tankers’ commitment to developing new technologies and ship designs for a sustainable maritime industry. I am proud of the team involved in bringing the vision for a tanker that can operate at the lowest water levels on the Rhine to life. We are looking forward to operating the Stolt Ludwigshafen exclusively for BASF and contributing to the security of its supply chain in the region.”
Uwe Liebelt, President, European Verbund Sites, BASF SE, added: “Following the extreme low water levels on the Rhine in 2018, we initiated an extensive programme to improve climate resilience at the Ludwigshafen site. With today’s christening of the Stolt Ludwigshafen, we are concluding the implementation of this diverse package. Now BASF takes advantage of the most powerful low-water vessel on the Rhine, ensuring the supply to our customers and production plants.
“The fact that we can inaugurate this brand-new vessel together with our partner Stolt Tankers is a proud moment for all of us. Today, we celebrate the fruitful partnership of both our companies and the innovation power of the consortium of barge experts which we founded four years ago. For me, this vessel is an excellent example for securing Europe as competitive industry location by technology lead.”
“This exciting project demonstrates Stolt Tankers’ commitment to developing new technologies and ship designs for a sustainable maritime industry." – Lucas Vos, President of Stolt Tankers
Prior to its christening, guests were given the opportunity to take a tour of the ship. Accompanied by his crew, Captain Horst Schweiger escorted the guests around the Stolt Ludwigshafen from the deck to the wheelhouse and the engine room, highlighting its many innovative features.