Van Oord welcomes its first LNG hopper dredger – the Vox Ariane

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M) has just announced the successful delivery of the first dual-fuel Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) to Van Oord.

Named Vox Ariane, the high-specification dredger has a hopper capacity of 10,500 cubic meters and can run on LNG. It is the sixth dredger built by Keppel O&M, Singapore, and the first to be delivered to Van Oord.

Keppel O&M is also currently building two more identical dredgers for Van Oord, named Vox Apolonia and Vox Alexia.

Mr. Tan Leong Peng, Managing Director (New Builds) at Keppel O&M, said, “We are pleased to deliver the first dual-fuel dredger built in Singapore to Van Oord. This is the sixth dredger delivered by Keppel O&M, extending our track record in the dredging industry.”

Built to the requirements of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Tier III regulations, the Dutch flagged Vox Ariane includes several features that considerably reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions. It is also equipped with innovative and sustainable systems and has obtained the Green Passport and Clean Ship Notation by Bureau Veritas.

“We are eager to welcome the Vox Ariane, the first LNG hopper dredger in our fleet. This dredger, which will boost the mid-class section of our fleet of TSHDs, exemplifies our commitment to make our fleet more economical and energy efficient,” commented Mr. Jaap de Jong, Director Ship Management Department of Van Oord. “Keppel O&M has displayed professionalism and agility in navigating the challenges posed by COVID-19 to complete this quality dredger safely, and we look forward to furthering our partnership with the upcoming delivery of the next two dredgers.”

The state-of-the-art Vox Ariane is equipped with a high degree of automation for its marine and dredging systems, as well as an onboard data acquisition and integrated control system to enhance efficiency and operational cost savings.

The TSHD has one suction pipe with submerged e-driven dredge pump, two shore discharge dredge pumps, five bottom doors, a total installed power of 14,500 kW, and is able to accommodate 22 persons.