Conoship International B.V. designed an 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. Built between 2017 and 2018, the vessel is primarily used for maintenance dredging in major ports like Rotterdam and for mining sand and gravel. It features a 300 m³ LNG tank, four Dual Fuel generator sets, and equipment for cleaning up accidental oil spills. The vessel’s optimized hull minimizes fuel consumption, and thanks to the integration of LNG technology, it already met the 2020 emission regulations upon delivery—reducing CO₂ emissions by up to 20%, NOₓ by 85%, and eliminating SOₓ entirely.
The project began with Conoship’s participation in feasibility studies dating back to 2013, first exploring LNG retrofitting for the TSHD Rijndelta. Technical challenges, including space limitations and safety considerations, led to the decision in 2015 to pursue a newbuild instead. The vessel, later named Ecodelta, was delivered at the end of 2018. It also played a role in the 2019 CO2ASTS study on Ship-Based Carbon Capture, highlighting its relevance in shaping the future of sustainable dredging. As Managing Director Arie Faasse noted: “We perform maintenance dredging activities in the Ports of Rotterdam, Hamburg and Eemshaven. Focus on the environment and reduction of emissions is very important , especially close to densely populated cities. Working increasingly cleaner, is our clear incentive to invest in LNG for our new dredger”.
