Jan De Nul launches fourth Ultra-Low Emission vessel
Jan De Nul Group launched its fourth Ultra-Low Emission vessel last week in Singapore. It concerns the 6,000 m³ Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Sanderus built at the Keppel Offshore & Marine shipyard.
This green vessel is the first of two identical medium-sized hopper dredgers under construction at Keppel O&M’s shipyard in Singapore, fitted with a two-stage filtering technique for exhaust gases.
In total, Jan De Nul Group designed six Ultra-Low Emission vessels (ULEvs) for its fleet: five Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers and one Offshore Jack-Up Installation Vessel, the Voltaire. The two 6,000 m³ hoppers and the Voltaire are still under construction. Three 3,500 m³ ULEvs, of which the first was launched in July 2018, recently left Keppel O&M’s shipyard in China on their maiden voyage to their first assignment.
The design of the Sanderus combines a shallow draught with high manoeuvrability, making her very suitable for working in confined areas.
The Sanderus is diesel-electric driven: all major drives (thrusters, dredge pump, jet pumps...) are electrically driven, and controlled by means of frequency converters. In this way each system can operate at its optimal speed and power. Power is generated by means of three diesel generator sets. A control system automatically starts and stops the sets depending on the power requirement. Asymmetric load sharing results in optimal load distribution over the diesel generator sets. All these measures result in a low fuel oil consumption, which is the best in its class.
Jan De Nul Group addresses environmental challenges by focusing on minimalizing its footprint of maritime activities on ambient air quality and climate. Air pollution is one of the biggest dangers to public health. Marine construction activities are mostly situated in the vicinity of coastlines, ports and harbours, and densely populated areas.
