Jan De Nul Acquires Several New Dredges
In July 2016 the Jan De Nul Group headquartered in Luxembourg ordered two hopper dredges with a capacity of 3500 cubic meters (4600 cubic yards) each to be built at the shipyard contractor of Keppel Singmarine in China. In January 2017 the company ordered the construction of a third similar hopper dredge. The vessels will be delivered in the second half of 2018. In mid-May 2017 the company placed a new order with the same shipyard for a 6000 cubic meter (7.800 cubic yard) trailing suction hopper dredge also including an option for a sister vessel. This brings the current newbuilding order at the shipyard to four hoppers. An option for a fifth hopper dredge has been provided in the contract.
This 6000 cubic meter trailing suction hopper dredge is in diesel-electric execution allowing optimal use of the generated power and lowering fuel oil consumption and emissions. In addition an exhaust gas treatment system is installed and pollutant emissions will comply with the future European Union Stage V regulations for inland waterway vessels. The system is similar to the one installed on the three 3500 cubic meter trailers ordered in July of last year and currently being constructed by Keppel Singmarine.
These vessels according to JDN spokespersons meet the most stringent global emission limits as the world’s first European Union Stage V dredges. “They are highly fuel-efficient versatile and productive” says Robby De Backer New Building Director at Jan De Nul Group. “Their use will enable execution of dredging projects with the lowest level of pollutant emissions even better than that of LNG-powered vessels using dual-fuel engines.”
In China the AVIC Weihai shipyard has outfitted the multipurpose vessels Adhémar de Saint-Venant and Daniel Bernoulli. As of early July the Adhémar de Saint-Venant is headed to Denmark joining De Nul’s Gian Lorenzo Bernini for the installation of Gravity Based Foundations which includes the excavation of the foundation pit and rock installation works. The Daniel Bernoulli will be used as a trenching vessel in the Persian Gulf.
Jan De Nul Group’s newest and largest self-propelled cutter suction dredger is being built at the Uljanik shipyard in Croatia. Its installed diesel power is greater than 40000 kW which exceeds by some 50 percent the J.F.J. De Nul which is presently their largest cutter. Its launch is scheduled for summer 2017.
