Work has begun at Damen Shiprepair Dunkerque (DSDu) on the conversion of the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Samuel de Champlain from diesel-electric propulsion to dual-fuel capability combining MGO and LNG.
A ceremony was held at the yard to mark the first cutting of steel for the prefabrication of a new section of hull that will hold the new generators and other equipment. The Samuel de Champlain is the first such conversion to be done by DSDu, the first such conversion in GIE Dragages-Ports' fleet and the first of its kind in Europe.
From Diesel-electric to Dual-fuel
Under the contract, Damen is delivering a turnkey package that includes engineering, procurement and support. Engineering studies are being subcontracted to LMG Marin France. The current propulsion system of the Samuel de Champlain is diesel-electric burning MGO, and so the package includes the change of generators to dual-fuel models and the installation of onboard LNG storage facilities.
New Block
The new engines will be installed on a new block which is currently being prefabricated in DSDu’s workshop and this will be installed later this year while the vessel is in drydock.
Samuel de Champlain
The Samuel de Champlain was built in 2002 and is the largest vessel in the GIE Dragages-Ports fleet. Based in the Grand Maritime Port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire, it divides its time between the Loire and Seine estuaries.
EU Supported Initiative
The conversion is part of an EU-supported initiative to promote LNG propulsion in short sea vessels operating along the European Atlantic coast and is being made possible by a subsidy from the European Commission’s Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) via its Connecting Europe Facility programme. The conversion of the Samuel de Champlain will play an important role in demonstrating the feasibility of using LNG as a fuel on smaller vessels and it is expected to be operational by December 2018.
