Two Damen Combi Freighters 3850 launched for Fast Lines Belgium

(Posted on 06/06/25)

The second of three Damen Combi Freighters (CF) 3850 has been launched in China for Fast Lines Belgium. This follows the launch of the first vessel on 19^th May. The two companies signed a contract for two vessels in October 2023. Last year, Fast took the option of a third vessel. The CF vessels will be the first newbuilds to enter into the Fast fleet.

Damen operates 35 shipyards and 20 other companies in 20 countries, supported by a worldwide sales and service network.

The family owned total logistics company is headquartered in Belgium, with locations in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Poland. Fast approached Damen to construct its new vessels based on a number of reasons.

Like Damen, Fast Lines Belgium is focused on sustainability, applying a broad interpretation of the word, encompassing safety and crew welfare. Damen has designed the CF 3850 to be optimally fuel efficient with comfortable accommodation. What’s more, the design can be easily adapted to meet client specific requirements.

For Fast, this includes the installation of a harbour generator and a larger than standard shore power connection. As is typical for the short sea sector, Fast’s vessels spend significant amounts of time in port. With this, the CF 3850 vessels will be able to connect to electrical power in ports once infrastructure becomes more widely available, reducing noise and emissions in port.

The company has also opted to increase crane capacity to reduce the manual handling required of its crews. Fast has also amended the layout of the ships to ensure that more storage spaces are accessible by crane.

A further benefit for Fast was Damen Triton. With the IoT solution, thousands of sensors located around the vessel collect data, informing decision making and leading to increased efficiency.

Reflecting on the decision to commission Damen for the project, Fast Lines Belgium Chair Catrien Scheers said, “The Damen vessel stands out in the market. It is both fuel efficient and smart. With the Triton system on board, we will be able to demonstrate fuel efficiency to our clients in real time. On top of that, Damen is a company with a long track record. And, they are building standard ships, which offers considerable added value. As well as speeding up the construction process, building in series is a way to boost efficiency for the industry. Together, we are building vessels for the future.”

The CF 3850 vessels are being constructed at the Damen Yichang Shipyard in China. Damen builds its cargo vessels at locations in both China and Vietnam, thereby ensuring the capacity to meet demand for the popular designs.

The CF 3850 vessels will be named for Fast family members. The four vessels currently sailing in the company’s fleet are named Fast Sim and Fast Herman, for the company’s founders, and Fast Jef and Fast Sus, for two of their grandchildren. Continuing this tradition, the new vessels will also be named for members of the third generation – Fast Olivia, Fast Anna Sofia and Fast Gilles.

Fast Lines Belgium Managing Director Yvan Vlaminckx said, “It has been a pleasure to work with Damen on the construction of our first newbuild vessels. As with any project of this scale, there have been challenges along the way. However, this is not a typical ‘buyer-seller’ relationship. This is a cooperation. Our two family companies share a long-term view and similar values with regards to safety, the welfare of people and the environment. With this, we are able to collaborate effectively, overcoming any hurdles we encounter along the way and achieving results that are mutually beneficial.”

Damen Commercial Director Cargo Vessels Remko Bouma said, “Fast Lines Belgium is a forward thinking party, very invested in digitalisation, sustainability and crew welfare. We are aware that they took the time to explore the market before ordering their vessels and we are very proud that they chose Damen – and that they rewarded our efforts with the order for a third vessel. We also appreciate the input they have provided. We have benefitted tremendously from Fast Lines Belgium’s extensive experience, which will undoubtedly support the further evolution of our CF vessels in the future.”