5,500 m3 TSHD on LNG ‘Ecodelta’

Design Rationale EcoDelta

This innovative LNG fueled Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger with a capacity of 5,500 m3 for dredging company Van der Kamp BV from Zwolle, The Netherlands is built in 2017/2018. The main purpose of this dredger, that incorporates an LNG tank of approx. 300 m3 and 4 Dual Fuel main generator sets, will be maintenance dredging in ports like Rotterdam, but also the mining of sand and gravel.

The process of building this ship has had an intensive preliminary phase. Conoship participated in the feasibility study ‘Dredging on LNG’ (TKI Gas) as early as 2013 and then, together with Van der Kamp, set up the feasibility study ‘Refit TSHD Rhine Delta to LNG Dual Fuel/electric installation’. The technical feasibility turned out to be a major challenge, partly due to the space in the engine room, the positioning of the LNG tank and the welding and cutting on deck while dredging on LNG. The conclusion reached in 2015 is that a refit will become too complicated.
The first discussions about a newbuild dredger took place in 2015 and the ship was delivered at the end of 2018.

Watch Ecodelta on our YouTube channel

Thanks to the full cooperation between Conoship and the shipowner, the ultimate solution could be designed and then realised. Conoship provided the design, basic and detailed engineering, and system integration services for this vessel that is also fitted with special equipment for cleaning up accidental oil-spills in the area she serves. The optimised hull for minimum fuel consumption, tailored to the bunker interval and the integration of an LNG tank in the design are the most important innovations. By application of LNG technology, the vessel was already in compliance with the regulations for emission reduction that came in force in January 2020. The usage of LNG reduces the emissions of CO2 up to 20% and NOx up to 85%. In addition, SOx is reduced to zero.

LNG and Carbon Capture

In addition to the use of LNG, the subject of carbon capture has been gaining more general acceptance as a way of meeting the emission targets. The feasibility study CO2ASTS (2019) focused on Ship Based Carbon Capture and Storage for inland and short sea shipping using LNG as a fuel with the objective of gaining insight into the main cost drivers and possibilities for minimising the costs per kg of CO2. This has been investigated and tested on the basis of three use cases. It is therefore not surprising that the Ecodelta, in addition to a sea river cargo vessel and a cruiseship, served as a use case within this research project.

Read more about the CO2ASTS study

Propulsion
Installed power (4 dual fuel generator sets)7,600ekW
LNG tank capacity (approx.)300m3
Propulsion2 × 2,300bkW
Bow thruster2 × 500bkW
Dredging particulars
Inside diameter drag arm 1,000mm
Maximum dredging depth37.0m
Output in board dredge pump1,350bkW
Output jet pumps2 x 450bkW
Output discharge pump2,700bkW
Hopper capacity5,500m3
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