PD Ports new dredger almost ready for launching

Neptune Marine continues to make great progress on the construction of PD Ports’ new hopper dredger, the Emerald Duchess.

The 71m long dredger will soon be launched (Q2) and put through the paces in the Netherlands.

The 2.000m3 TSHD has been designed and built to an exacting specification to ensure it can carry out its tasks on the Tees to the highest environmental and safety standards.

Also, the new vessel has been ‘future-proofed’ with a number of bespoke design features that will eventually allow carbon neutral operations.

Fitted with an innovative intelligent power management system, the Emerald Duchess can swap between power from a battery pack equivalent to 10 Tesla cars and fuel made from hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel.

Once delivered in Q3, the Emerald Duchess will replace the Cleveland County which had served the Tees under PD Ports’ conservancy team for 50 years.