A unique shipbuilding project, initiated by Van der Kamp, a Zwolle-based dredging company and Conoship International in 2015, culminated in the christening of the vessel last week. Ecodelta is a one-of-a-kind LNG-fuelled trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) with two main objectives: recover valuable material from the seabed and create a greater depth of water.
The 134.1 metre long, 21.4 metre wide vessel with a dredging draught of 7.77 m, a hopper volume of 5900 m3, a dredging depth below baseline of 35 m and a gross tonnage of 7560 GT, was designed by Conoship International and built by the Frisian shipyard Barkmeijer.
Unusually, Ecodelta is also equipped with two sweeping arms to remove oil from the water surface, enabling it to respond to accidental spills and emergency situations.
Environmentally friendly
Van der Kamp has signed a contract with the Port of Rotterdam Authority in order to perform port maintenance until 2023. The final goal is to become the most sustainable port by replacing the fuel oil with LNG for shipping. Another advantage of LNG is cost-efficiency. The LNG tank of approximately 325 m3 can store enough energy for operations over two weeks.
Ecodelta is already meeting the upcoming regulations for emission reduction that will come in force in 2020. The usage of LNG reduces the emissions of CO2 up to 20% and NOx up to 85%. In addition, Sulfur Oxide is reduced to zero.
