From the magazine – After the Koedood family sold their Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht-based company Koedood Marine Group, Arie Koedood thought even more about innovation for the maritime sector in relation to sustainability and zero emissions. It led to the establishment of the Nederlandse Innovatie Maatschappij BV (NIM, the Netherlands Innovation Society).
This article first appeared in SWZ|Maritime’s April 2024 inland navigation special. It was written by independent inland navigation consultant and SWZ|Maritime editor, Martin van Dijk, mhzefir@gmail.com.
Koedood speaks from experience when he says: ‘Innovation always costs money. But following developments is a must for survival.’ That is why he wanted to support the sector and prevent stagnation as a result of still unknown innovative technological aspects. He got a group of experts together on a Saturday afternoon to brainstorm about this in more detail. This open dialogue led to the establishment of the NIM in June 2023, which is now based at Ridderkerk.
Also read: SWZ|Maritime’s April 2024 issue: Innovative inland navigation
Founders and members
The founders are a group of five people that together hold a 51 per cent stake as shareholders. Each founder has a lot of expertise in the various fields. They are: Arie Koedood, CEO, Erik van de Nieuwenhuizen, COO, Gert-Jan de Gelder, CCO, Ir Sander Roosjen, CTO, and Mark Freriks, CSO. Meanwhile, eighteen companies have registered as members and hold between one and three per cent of the shares.
It is with some pride that Koedood says: ‘We looked for members with different disciplines, such as a broad knowledge of technology, maritime end-users, and business support. The basic principle here was cooperation, trust plus solidarity and, therefore, not “every man for himself”.’
Meanwhile, four people are permanently employed. Not all intended vacancies have been filled yet. They get to work on the technical R&D questions coming from the market. Conversely, NIM also brings innovative suggestions to the market. It is a good interaction.
Establishing partnerships
After founding NIM, good research cooperation was immediately sought. A cooperation agreement was signed with TNO on 7 March, as synergy could be created between the two organisations. TNO was founded in 1932 and established as the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research. TNO and NIM shall push the boundaries of technology, focusing on sustainable solutions for the maritime sector.
As such, one of TNO’s objectives is: ‘Industry accounts for about one-third of CO2 emissions in the Netherlands. We’re working to make industry carbon-neutral by 2050, so there’s a huge amount to do. The target for 2030 is to cut harmful emissions by half. We support government, industry, and the business community in this transition.’
De Gelder, who knows the inland shipping market very well from a commercial and business point of view, says: ‘It is good to encourage inland waterway entrepreneurs to think even more about achieving resilient sustainability.’
Soon there was also contact with Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT) in Rotterdam. This trade association connects, represents and strengthens the Dutch maritime manufacturing industry. A working group within NMT has been established for nuclear propulsion research in cooperation with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft). Koedood has been asked to participate in the working group and provide knowledge from NIM. There is also contact with the University of Twente in Enschede.
Roosjen is in close contact with the sustainable process technology faculty of the University of Twente in the fields of methanol reforming and waste heat recovery systems. ‘I strive to connect academia with business, they might seem two worlds apart, but there is good synergy in cutting-edge research.’
When it comes to knowledge exchange, there is also a good relationship with the Expertise and Innovation Centre for Inland Navigation (EICB) at Zwijndrecht. Their motto: ‘Supporting the application of new ideas is vital for the future of inland navigation’. They support the sector with expertise development, project management and funding. NIM collaborates with several universities for knowledge exchange in the field of technical innovation.
Also read: Hydrogen cargo ship ready for operation on the Rhine
MENENS project
Research is under way to develop a “conversion kit” that will allow diesel engines to switch to methanol and/or hydrogen. Koedood expects, as he puts it, that ‘currently, methanol and hydrogen offer the best opportunities to achieve low/zero-emission results.’
Fugro NV (acronym: FUnderingstechniek en GROndmechanica) is a Dutch company based at Leidschendam and has offices in 57 countries. The company is engaged in geo-data and soil research, collecting and analysing information about the soil and the earth’s surface, both on land and at sea. The company mainly works for clients active in energy, infrastructure and water management.
Fugro is a partner in the MENENS project, which is aligned with projects outlined in the Maritime Master Plan. This plan aspires to establish the Netherlands as a global leader in sustainable shipbuilding and shipping, including a target of having thirty zero-emission ships in operation by 2030. The aim is to accelerate the route to emission-free shipping by developing adaptive system solutions based on methanol.
Also read: Fugro Pioneer’s methanol conversion underway
This project has been awarded a grant of € 24.3 million. NIM is conducting a study for Fugro on how the main onboard propulsion can switch to methanol. The study focuses on retrofit solutions with which the various types of diesel engines can be equipped to use methanol.
Sailing on methanol makes a major CO2 reduction possible and is seen in the international maritime sector as one of the most feasible fuels for large-scale introduction in the short to medium term. This is still complicated, because the Mitsubishi engine has mechanical injection and the Caterpillar engine has electronic injection. These engines also have separate control systems. The Fugro fleet is equipped with these two types of main engines. It should be technically arranged in such a way that the engine can always switch back to conventional diesel operation.
These goals are realistic and achievable according to Roosjen: ‘Our engineers bring a deep understanding of combustion technology to the table and have years of experience in testing methanol as a sustainable fuel. At this moment, we are uniquely equipped to run such innovation projects on accelerated timelines.’
The first full demonstration of NIM’s first methanol dual-fuel engine is already expected in Q4 of this year.
Starting somewhere with hydrogen
That is why Koedood admires frontrunners in the sector, such as Future Proof Shipping and skipper-entrepreneur Harm Lenten of the new-build barge Antonie. ‘They have both shown that you must start somewhere with hydrogen. It’s a learning process! As a perfect machine, the diesel engine has been developed through and through over a hundred years. Stage-V technical development has reduced particulate and NOX emissions by between ninety and 95 per cent, but the diesel engine still emits CO2 and that is why the use of diesel will stop at some point.’
NIM is therefore considering developing a “modular” concept where, without long installation time, a section module for any sustainable technology can be installed on the barge’s midship. The stability of the ship then remains unchanged while providing a platform to install all kinds of novel energy systems. This creative idea has received positive feedback and is being discussed with the Dutch Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (IL&T) and Lloyd’s Register.
Picture (top): Through NIM, CEO Arie Koedood (left), CTO Sander Roosjen (middle), and CCO Gert-Jan de Gelder (right) bring innovative suggestions to the market.
Also read: First trials for Holland Shipyards’ second hydrogen vessel
