With a three-day event on the Koninginnenhoofd Quay in Rotterdam, Van Oord unveiled its latest addition to the fleet. Vox Ariane, Van Oord’s first trailing suction hopper dredger equipped with an LNG fuel system, was christened by its CFO and member of the Executive Committee, Jolanda Poots-Bijl.
The Vox Ariane has a hopper capacity of approximately 10,500 cubic metres and measures 138 metres in length and 28 metres across the beam. It is the first hopper in Van Oord’s fleet equipped with an LNG fuel system.
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Three new trailing suction hopper dredgers
The vessel was built by Keppel Singmarine Pte Ltd at its shipyard in Singapore. The Vox Ariane and its two sister vessels (Vox Alexia and Vox Apolonia), which are still under construction, will replace existing vessels and fit in with Van Oord’s aim of making its fleet state-of-the-art and more energy efficient. Their energy-efficient design will reduce fuel consumption and therefore carbon emissions substantially, qualifying them for a Green Passport and Clean Ship Notation.
Van Oord operates trailing suction hopper dredgers for a wide range of global activities, such as coastal protection, port construction, deepening waterways and land reclamation. The vessels are equipped with a suction pipe with electrically powered underwater dredge pump, two inboard dredge pumps, five bottom doors and have a total installed powerof 14,500 kW. Each vessel can accommodate 22 crew members.
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Fleet renewal
The investment is part of a broader fleet renewal programme. Van Oord is committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions. As part of its Sustainable Earth Actions programme, Van Oord intends to be carbon-neutral by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.
Approximately 95 per cent of Van Oord’s carbon footprint is linked to its fleet. So the company feels it can make most progress by investing in the decarbonisation of its vessels, by investing in green vessels and alternative fuels. In total, Van Oord invests about EUR 1 billion in innovative and sustainable equipment over the next five years.
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