During his PhD research, Edwin de Hoog (Royal IHC) conducted an in-depth study into the influence of dynamics on the stability of sand-water transport processes in dredging pipelines. His research led to improved design and analysis of dredging pipelines and landed him the Maritime Talent Award at the Maritime Awards Gala last night.
The Maritime Talent Award is intended to recognise an individual for his or her research work or development result. Central to this is to what extent this work shows talent through originality, innovation and thus is leading with potential for application within the maritime sector in the Netherlands. The Maritime Awards Gala is therefore a very effective way for the nominees to bring their talent to the attention of a large audience. The Maritime Talent Award is intended for recent graduates and PhD students as well as employees of universities, research institutes and industry in the Netherlands.
Also read: Fanny Rebiffe bags Maritime Talent Award with AI Sail
More complex pipelines boost energy efficiency
Traditional design methods for dredging pipelines are not always sufficient to ensure system stability. Stability issues mainly arise in more complex pipeline systems, such as those with vertical sections, or in long pipelines carrying high-density mixtures. Through experimental research and the development of new 1D-CFD (computational fluid dynamics) simulations, new insights and design methods have been developed to analyse and design for dynamic pipeline stability.
These new 1D-CFD simulations make it possible to design longer, more complex pipelines capable of transporting higher-density mixtures, expanding the potential applications of hydraulic transport in the dredging and mining industries. Enabling pipelines to handle denser mixtures also significantly improves energy efficiency — by roughly ten to forty per cent.
In addition, the 1D-CFD model provides a suitable framework for designing new propulsion systems within the dredging industry, such as (dual-fuel) methanol engines or fuel cells — an essential step toward achieving the energy transition.
By enabling longer and more complex dredging pipelines, the Dutch maritime industry strengthens its competitive position. Pipelines capable of transporting high-density mixtures lead to lower fuel consumption, benefitting both environmental and cost efficiency.
Other nominees
Marije Deul was nominated for her vision and actions towards high-quality and practical reuse of ship structures. Her approach retains steel within the Netherlands and embraces circularity as an opportunity for a future-proof shipbuilding industry.
As part of his graduation project at TU Delft, in collaboration with Damen Naval, Tom Wien explored the potential of nuclear propulsion for naval vessels. His research shows that a high-temperature gas reactor, combined with a supercritical CO2 cycle, is well-suited to meet the variable power demands of a naval ship.
For more information on these two nominees, read our October Maritime Awards special, available to subscribers here. Not yet a subscriber? Please visit our subscriptions page.
Also read: And the nominees for the Maritime Awards 2025 are…
Maritime Awards Gala
The Maritime Awards Gala took place on Monday evening, 3 November, at Ahoy Rotterdam. During the Maritime Awards Gala, more than 900 maritime professionals and stakeholders meet to celebrate the innovative capacity of the Dutch maritime sector together with politicians, the press and the nominees.
Every year, five awards are presented at the Gala; the Ship of the Year Award, the Maritime Innovation Award, the Maritime Talent Award, the Maritime Achievement Award and the Maritime Security Award.
Picture (top): Edwin de Hoog (left) receiving the award at the Maritime Awards Gala (photo Maritime Awards Gala).
