2014 went well for Becker Marine Systems: The LNG Hybrid Barge for supplying low-emission power to cruise ships was christened and from the use of the Becker Mewis Duct® CO2 emissions have been able to be reduced by more than one million tonnes. At 19,000 TEU, the largest container ship in the world is now picking up speed – with a high-performance rudder from the Hamburg-based company.

The christening of the CSCL GLOBE container ship from China Shipping Container Lines (CSCL) at the end of November drew a great deal of attention in the shipping industry, because, with space for 19,000 standard containers (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit or TEU), it is the largest one in the world. The rudder for the ship built at the Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) shipyard in South Korea was delivered by Becker Marine Systems.

“We are proud that even for this special container ship the choice was made for our twisted rudder”, said Dirk Lehmann and Henning Kuhlmann, both Managing Directors of the global market leader for high-performance rudders. The CSCL GLOBE’s four planned sister ships will also be equipped with highly manoeuvrable and efficient TLKSRs® (Twisted Leading Edge King Support Rudder).

Other large orders in 2014 very nicely filled Becker Marine Systems’ order books. They include twisted rudders and the energy-saving Becker Twisted Fin® for United Arab Shipping Company’s (UASC) 18,000 and 14,000 TEU ships as well as additional Becker Twisted Fins® for Canada-based Seaspan Ship Management’s 10,000 and 5,100 TEU ships. And yet another innovative order is for the stearable nozzle of a dredger being built at a Dutch shipyard.

“We are very satisfied with the new orders. In 2014 we were also able to perform very well in a difficult market environment”, reported Lehmann and Kuhlmann. Becker Marine Systems is forecast to increase sales by about 20 per cent in the current business year. The number of employees worldwide is now 230, 135 of whom work in Hamburg.

Right before the end of the year, the successful Becker Mewis Duct® reached an ambitious goal for greater sustainability in the shipping industry. From worldwide use of all delivered Becker Mewis Ducts®, the resulting reduction in CO2 recently passed the one million tonne mark. Becker Marine Systems has already been able to sell more than 800 of its Becker Mewis Duct® – a gold coloured 750th one of which was on display at SMM, the maritime industry’s leading trade fair.

In December, Becker Marine Systems opened its own office in Houston in order to serve the strong demand from numerous shipping companies in North America directly on site. Thus, after China, Singapore, South Korea and Norway, the Hamburg-based company now has a representative office in the USA.

The christening of the LNG Hybrid Barge was also one of the highlights of the year for Becker Marine Systems. The HUMMEL (bumblebee) works like a floating power plant and uses low-emission LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) to supply environmentally-friendly energy to cruise ships. The company has once again impressively managed to demonstrate its competency for new technical systems and concepts.

“We are optimistic about 2015”, said the company‘s two Managing Directors, „in which, among other things, we would like to be able to gain additional customers for our LNG solutions. We want to establish environmentally-friendly LNG as the fuel for marine propulsion.” The commissioning of the LNG Hybrid Barge at the port of Hamburg at the start of the cruise season will certainly able to interest additional customers in custom solutions for lowering energy costs. In the coming year, environmental protection will remain the central theme in the development of further improving fuel savings by the use of Becker Marine Systems’ products.