The first dredging campaign of the year has started in Eemshaven, a port in the north of the Netherlands.
It is the first time that the LNG-powered dredger, the Ecodelta, carries out this maintenance. The work will start in parts of Eemshaven where most of the sedimentation has taken place, mainly the Doekegatkanaal and Beatrixhaven. The Eemshaven is one of two ports belonging to port authority Groningen Seaports.
Eventually the entire port will be at the desired depth again. The work is expected to be completed after approximately 1.5 weeks, with the next dredging campaign taking place in October.
LNG-fuelled Ecodelta
The Ecodelta is a hypermodern LNG-powered dredging vessel owned by Dredging and Contracting Company Van der Kamp BV in Zwolle, the Netherlands. The environmentally friendly nature of the ship makes it particularly suitable for dredging activities, where it is extra desirable to work as cleanly as possible.
The Ecodelta, a so-called trailing suction hopper dredger, transports the suctioned sludge to licensed locations just outside Eemshaven. The ship is 134 m long and has a capacity of 6000 m3.
By opting for LNG as fuel, CO2 emissions can be reduced by twenty per cent and that of nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 85 per cent. Sulphur and particulate matter emissions are reduced to virtually zero.
Picture by Flying Focus.
