Posted on July 15, 2021
Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC has signed an ‘approval in principal’ (AiP) from classification society Bureau Veritas for the design of a hydrogen fuelled trailing suction hopper dredger.
In an innovation partnership with the Dutch government’s ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat), Royal IHC is exploring a new type of vessel referred to as the LEAF (low energy adaptive fuel) hopper.
The fuel type was chosen based on its emissions reduction potential, the availability of the fuel and the readiness of the components, including fuel cells and fuel storage. following analysis, hydrogen was found to fit best with the timeline of being operational in 2024. The Rijkswaterstaat has set itself a target to be CO2 neutral by 2030. To achieve this, it sought cost effective solutions for its coastal protection projects to significantly reduce CO2 emissions from 2024.
The project’s next step is to “form a consortium with dredger operator(s) and to define conditions together with the Rijkswaterstaat”, Royal IHC’s Leonard den Boer told CEDA industry News.
Project research began in 2019 and, before hydrogen was agreed as the fuel of choice, other options such as methanol and ammonia were considered as possible zero emission fuels for the dredger. The exact capacity of the LEAF hopper is still under discussion.
In a statement, Royal IHC said: “The AiP from Bureau Veritas means that the proposed design of the vessel, encompassing its features and specifications, has been deemed acceptable in this early stage and that the hydrogen system has been safely integrated.”
According to the company, minimal CO2, SOx, NOx and particulate matter is released during the construction of the LEAF hopper, and when operating, like other hydrogen fuelled vessels, it will release only water vapour. Additionally, many design features on the LEAF hopper contribute to low energy consumption, including an electric drive train and energy recovery systems.
Royal IHC has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with India’s Cochin Shipyard to work together in order to provide a trailing suction hopper dredger to be built locally for Dredging Corporation of India (DCI). The agreement aims at designing and building an advanced 8,000m3 and/or 12,000m3 capacity hopper dredger to meet increased demand in India for port maintenance and other dredging services. Vessels of such capacity have never been built in India before.
