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Sanderus – Jan De Nul Group builds first dredger with ultra-low emissions
Sanderus
JAN DE NUL GROUP BUILDS FIRST DREDGER WITH ULTRA-LOW EMISSIONS.
Photo courtesy of Jan De Nul.
TRAILING SUCTION HOPPER DREDGER SANDERUS, A DIESEL-ELECTRIC VESSEL DRIVEN WITH ASYMMETRIC LOAD SHARING, RESETS THE SUSTAINABLE BAR.
The trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Sanderus is Jan De Nul’s fourth ultra-low emission vessel (ULEv) that has been launched within the past year. Built in Singapore, it features a two-stage catalytic filter system on board, making it one of the most sustainable dredgers on the market today. Having arrived in Belgium in February of this year, it will undertake maintenance dredging works in the Flemish coastal ports over the next two years. Its primary role will be to maintain the navigation depth in the marine access channels to the Flemish ports under the authority of the Flemish Government. Another three major vessels with the same ULEv technology are currently under construction.
The point of focus for its ultra-low emissions is on air quality. Fitted with a cutting-edge Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system that Jan De Nul claims “renders nitrogen
oxides harmless”, it also has a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) that blocks even the finest particles. The highly advanced dual exhaust gas filter system complies with the strict EURO STAGE V emission guidelines, and puts the onus back on the shipping industry when it comes to climate change and sustainable solutions.
“In a business-as-usual scenario, air pollution would be responsible for 8.8 million deaths a year, worldwide. That is twice as many as what was assumed so far”, says Mieke Fordeyn, Director of Jan De Nul Group’s International Division. “Also, shipping has a partial responsibility in this area. And even if the dredging industry accounts for only 0.1% of the total emission of global shipping traffic, we feel personally involved in this issue and regard it as one of our core missions to do something about it.”
Minimal impact With the arrival of Sanderus, Jan De Nul is not only investing in air quality but also setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets to reduce its climate footprint. The newest dredger is a diesel-electric, featuring Veth azimuth propulsion and bow thrusters, Siemens frequency drives and an Integrated Monitoring & Control System for the dredge installation built by Ingeteam. The major drives (thrusters, dredge pump, jet pumps, etc.) are electrically driven, which means that each system can operate at its optimal speed and power, with the power itself being generated by three diesel ABB generator sets. A control system automatically starts and stops the sets depending on the power requirement, and 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.
For its entire maritime fleet, Jan De Nul Group is aiming for 100% renewable fuel. Made from waste product, the new fuel is a certified sustainable substitute to fossil fuels. Its first TSHD vessel began running on 100% biofuel at the end of 2019, and The Group is now considering this switch for other dredging vessels.
“Such renewable fuel offers the huge advantage that engines must not be adapted so that the fuel can be used immediately”, says Michel Deruyck, Head of Energy at Jan De Nul Group. “As this solution makes use of biological waste flows as raw material, it is also beneficial to the circular economy. Research into fuels of the future is useful, but it should not prevent us from using sustainable solutions already available today for the much-needed energy transition within the shipping industry.”
