Van Oord wraps up emission-free dredging project in Dordrecht

Van Oord recently carried out the emission-free dredging project in Dordrecht, the Netherlands.

The project was successfully done with the crane vessel Christiaan P. This fully electrified vessel runs and operates emission-free, which is a first in the dredging industry.

According to Van Oord, all the trials and tests went extremely well. The data collected is now being developed and analyzed.

The results of the pilot project will offer valuable insights that help the industry operate completely emission-free in the future.

Cor Paans, Manager Paans Van Oord: “We are extremely proud of our engineering team who prepared and carried out this pilot project. Thanks to their expert preparation, everything worked flawlessly. The Christiaan P. is a great addition to our Zero Emission fleet and the results of this project will make a significant contribution to achieving Van Oord’s sustainability goals.”

Christiaan P. is a crane vessel owned by Van Oord’s subsidiary Paans Van Oord. It is used for various kinds of marine engineering work, mainly dredging projects and the installation of shore protection and revetments.

Prior to the pilot project, the Christiaan P. was re-converted. All its engines were replaced with electric motors and the crane was also replaced by an electric version.

During the pilot project, research was conducted into how effective and efficient battery-electric dredging is in practice. Various measurements were carried out, such as energy consumption when sailing at different speeds and during light and heavy dredging operations.

In addition, testing was done on how the batteries are charged via shore power and the ship’s own generator. Research was also conducted into whether the batteries can be continuously charged during work using hydrogen.