TSHD Emerald Duchess leaves for sea trials

The new hopper dredger Emerald Duchess has been out on its sea trials.

In May this year, Dutch shipbuilder Neptune Marine launched this first in-house designed diesel – electric dredger for PD Ports.

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, said Neptune.

Fitted with an 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.

The 71m long Emerald Duchess is set to replace the Cleveland County, which had served the Tees under PD Ports’ conservancy team for 50 years.