A christening ceremony was recently held in Rotterdam for the latest addition to the Van Oord fleet: the LNG-fuelled trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), Vox Ariane.
The vessel, which has a hopper capacity of approximately 10,500 cubic metres and measures 138 metres in length and 28 metres across the beam, is the first hopper in Van Oord’s fleet equipped with an LNG fuel system.
As previously reported, the Vox Ariane was bunkered by the FueLNG Bellina in April, marking the first time the 7,500 cbm-capacity LNG bunker vessel had bunkered a TSHD.
The Vox Ariane, which was built by Keppel Singmarine Pte Ltd at its shipyard in Singapore, and its two sister vessels, Vox Alexia and Vox Apolonia, which are still under construction, will replace existing vessels and fit in with Van Oord’s aim of making its fleet more energy efficient.
‘Their energy-efficient design will reduce fuel consumption and therefore carbon emissions substantially, qualifying them for a Green Passport and Clean Ship Notation,’ Van Oord said.
The investment is part of a broader fleet renewal programme by Van Oord which intends to be carbon-neutral by 2050. Approximately 95% of the company’s carbon footprint is linked to its fleet.
‘We can make most progress by investing in the decarbonisation of our vessels, by investing in green vessels and alternative fuels,’ said Van Oord. ‘The organisation has decided to invest €1 billion in innovative and sustainable equipment over the next five years.’
