Case Study: Hermina boosts inland waterway performance with Cummins engines

Generations on the Inland Waterways

Hermina, a second-generation Dutch inland riverboat operator run by Adrie and Bianca van Leeuwen, needed to upgrade the propulsion and bow thruster on its 110-meter container vessel and barge after years of service with older medium-speed engines. The company wanted better performance, maneuverability, and more efficient operation for demanding inland-waterway work, especially when handling heavy loads and moving through locks.

Cummins supplied a new QSK50M main engine rated at 1,825 HP at 1,800 RPM, paired with an Advance HCT1100 marine gear, and also replaced the bow thruster engine with a Cummins X15 rated at 582 HP. The result was a smaller, lighter engine room, faster acceleration, stronger maneuvering performance, and improved operating characteristics under load; the owner reported that the Cummins QSK50 delivered a noticeable step up in speed and responsiveness compared with the previous engine.

Hermina

Van Lan Leeuwen

Owner