Last week, a unique situation occurred off the coast of Zeeland, the Netherlands. Van Oord’s two newest identical trailing suction hopper dredgers Vox Ariane and Vox Apolonia were working together to reinforce the coastline, both powered by the sustainable fuel LNG.

The project concerns beach nourishment works along the Dutch coast. These works are part of the Netherlands’ Coastline Care programme of Rijkswaterstaat, the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, intended to reinforce the Dutch coast. Van Oord’s scope includes beach- and trench wall replenishment at the Westkapelse Zeedijk, Oostgat and Nieuwvliet-Groede in the province of Zeeland. During beach replenishment, sand is pumped to the beach by a trailing suction hopper dredger via a pipeline. Applying this replenishment method allows us to stabilise the coastline, protecting coastal communities and infrastructure. The trench wall replenishment method means that we fill parts of the channel just off the coast, the Oostgat, with sand. If it becomes less deep, the current can carry less sand and the coast stays in place longer. In total, approximately 4 million cubic metres of sand will be applied.

What makes this project extra special is that Vox Ariane and Vox Apolonia are running on LNG during the project execution, a more sustainable alternative for Marine Gas Oil (MGO), free of sulphur and particulates. The combustion process is also different to that of MGO, resulting in far less nitrogen dioxide being emitted. Switching to this kind of alternative sources of fuel for our fleet will help us to achieve our net-zero emissions targets by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.

Vox Apolonia and Vox Ariane are part of a series of three brand new trailing suction hopper dredgers that are being added to our fleet. The third sister vessel Vox Alexia will be christened this September. These vessels will help Van Oord to further modernise its fleet, making it more innovative and energy efficient. Their LNG fuel system and energy-efficient design will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions substantially. It is precisely for this reason that the three vessels were presented with the Dutch Maritime KVNR Shipping Award in 2022. 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’.