Van Oord celebrated the christening of brand new trailing suction hopper dredger Vox Apolonia. Vox Apolonia is Van Oord’s second hopper dredger equipped with an LNG fuel system and an outstanding example of its sustainable ambitions.

During a two-day christening event, Vox Apolonia was moored along the Wilhelminakade in Rotterdam city centre. Guests and employees came together to celebrate this memorable moment. They had the opportunity to board the new vessel for a guided tour before its deployment on dredging projects worldwide.

Vox Apolonia is the sister vessel of the LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredgers Vox Ariane and Vox Alexia. Vox Ariane was christened in June 2022 and has already been successfully deployed on several projects. Triplet sister vessel Vox Alexia is in the final stages of construction in Singapore. These new vessels have a hopper capacity of approximately 10,500 cubic metres and measure 137.50 metres in length and 27.60 metres across the beam. 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.

Van Oord is investing in expertise, equipment and vessels to operate a more sustainable fleet in order to achieve its net-zero emission targets by 2050. The three new vessels will help Van Oord accomplish the aim of modernising its fleet and making it more economical and energy efficient. Their LNG fuel system and energy-efficient design will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions substantially.

In 2022, Van Oord won the Maritime KNVR Shipping Award for its contribution to innovation in the Dutch maritime industry by commissioning the three new trailing suction hopper dredgers. According to the jury, Van Oord’s introduction of the three vessels marks it as ‘a trailblazer for international standards aimed at minimising climate and environmental impact within the available technological capabilities.

Vox Apolonia is named after Apolonia Adriana van Oord-Visser. She was married to Jac G. van Oord, the founder of the Utrecht branch of the company. Apolonia was one of the first board members and the first woman to join the supervisory board. And even today, the name Apolonia still runs in the Van Oord family. The vessel was christened by Polien Fijan-van Oord and Polianne van Oord. Two granddaughters of Apolonia who are named after her and who belong to the fourth generation of this family-owned company.