Singapore’s Keppel Offshore & Marine has launched an LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredger for Dutch firm Van Oord.
Vox Ariane is the first out of three sister vessels the Dutch marine contractor has on order at Keppel.
The 10,500 cbm vessels will have accommodation for 22 persons, a green passport, and clean ship notation, according to Van Oord.
They will feature dual-fuel engines meaning they will be able to run on both liquefied natural gas and marine gas oil.
In addition, these LNG hoppers will replace existing vessels and fit in with Van Oord’s aim of making its fleet more energy efficient and reduce emissions.
They will each feature a suction pipe with submerged e-driven dredge pump, two shore discharge dredge pumps, five bottom doors, and a total installed power of 14,500 kW.
To remind, Van Oord signed last year its first-ever green loan to fund the new LNG-powered dredgers. The firm signed the loan with Dutch Rabobank and France’s BNP Paribas.
Van Oord expects to take delivery of Vox Ariane in 2021 followed by Vox Apolonia and Vox Alexia in 2022.
