Van Oord’s two newest identical trailing suction hopper dredgers Vox Ariane and Vox Apolonia were working together to reinforce the coastline, both powered by the sustainable fuel LNG.

The project concerns beach nourishment works along the Dutch coast. These works are part of the Netherlands’ Coastline Care programme of Rijkswaterstaat, the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, intended to reinforce the Dutch coast. Van Oord’s scope includes beach- and trench wall replenishment at the Westkapelse Zeedijk, Oostgat and Nieuwvliet-Groede in the province of Zeeland. During beach replenishment, sand is pumped to the beach by a trailing suction hopper dredger via a pipeline.

Applying this replenishment method allows us to stabilise the coastline, protecting coastal communities and infrastructure. The trench wall replenishment method means that we fill parts of the channel just off the coast, the Oostgat, with sand. If it becomes less deep, the current can carry less sand and the coast stays in place longer. In total, approximately 4 million cubic metres of sand will be applied.

Net-zero emissions

What makes this project extra special is that Vox Ariane and Vox Apolonia are running on LNG during the project execution, a more sustainable alternative for Marine Gas Oil (MGO), free of sulphur and particulates. The combustion process is also different to that of MGO, resulting in far less nitrogen dioxide being emitted. Switching to this kind of alternative sources of fuel for our fleet will help us to achieve our net-zero emissions targets by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement.

Three new LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredgers

Vox Apolonia and Vox Ariane are part of a series of three brand new trailing suction hopper dredgers that are being added to our fleet. The third sister vessel Vox Alexia will be christened this September. These vessels will help Van Oord to further modernise its fleet, making it more innovative and energy efficient. Their LNG fuel system and energy-efficient design will reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions substantially. It is precisely for this reason that the three vessels were presented with the Dutch Maritime KVNR Shipping Award in 2022. According to the jury, Van Oord’s introduction of the three vessels marks it as ‘a trailblazer for international standards aimed at minimising climate and environmental impact within the available technological capabilities’.

Wild Rose Leader, NYK’s fourth LNG-fueled pure car and truck carrier, entered the ports of Nagoya and Yokkaichi for the first time. On the same days, commemoration ceremonies were held at each port and attended by related parties to celebrate the vessel’s arrival and wish it a lifetime of safe voyages.

Wild Rose Leader is the second of four vessels to be delivered from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Nanjing) Co. Ltd. and was given the name of a flower to emphasize NYK’s desire for its LNG-fueled PCTCs to pass on a healthy global environment through environment-friendly transportation.

The day after entering the port of Nagoya, the vessel received LNG fuel from Kaguya, an LNG bunkering ship operated by Central LNG Marine Fuel Japan Corporation, which is a joint venture owned by NYK and other partners. This was the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering to ever occur at Nagoya port.

At the port of Nagoya, the vessel loaded vehicles and equipment handled by Isewan Terminal Service Co., Ltd., and at the port of Yokkaichi , the vessel loaded vehicles made by Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

NYK continues to contribute to safe, stable transportation and promote decarbonization in its supply-chains through its environment-friendly fleets.

Vessel Particulars

Name: Wild Rose Leader
LOA: 199.90 m
Beam: 38.0 m
Loadable Cargo: 7,010 units
Gross Tonnage: 71,846 tons
Year Built: 2023
Flag: Liberia

Technology group Wartsila will supply the reliquefaction system for a retrofit project on an LNG carrier vessel converted to operate as a floating storage unit. The vessel, the ‘Energos Grand’ is owned by Connecticut, USA based operator Energos Infrastructure, and is being chartered by New Fortress Energy. The order was booked by Wartsila in March 2023.

The Wartsila system allows the boil-off-gas (BOG) from the LNG onboard to be reliquefied and returned to the cargo tanks rather than being wasted. The solution contributes to a significant reduction in emissions and creates cost savings, as well as optimizing the LNG cargo level.

“Wartsila’s experience and expertise in LNG reliquefaction and gas handling are well known and we had no hesitation in selecting their equipment and services for this project,” said Tim Twomey, Senior Vice President Fleet Technical, Energos Infrastructure. “We are therefore glad to again team up with Wartsila as a critical partner for our conversion projects, and view their reliability and robust technology as an important factor to proceed with this project.”

“This project shows New Fortress Energy’s and Energos’ commitment to improving the environmental profile of their fleet, and we are happy to once again be shown the trust of these partners in this conversion project. Our robust and reliable Compact Reliq technology is a perfect match for such applications. It combines cost-efficiency with low maintenance to deliver a solid environmental and commercial return,” commented Pål Steinnes, Head of Sales and Business Development Midstream, Wartsila Gas Solutions.

The Wartsila equipment is scheduled for delivery during the second half of 2024.

Wartsila Gas Solutions is a market leader with innovative systems and lifecycle solutions for the gas value chain. Our main focus areas are handling of gas in seaborne transport (storage, fuel, transfer and BOG management), gas to power, liquefaction and biogas solutions. We help our customers on the journey towards a sustainable future through focus on lifecycle, innovation and digitalisation.