UK operator PD Ports welcomed its newest dredger following its arrival from the Netherlands on Monday, August 26. Named Emerald Duchess, the dredger was designed to satisfy high environmental and safety standards.
The 71-metre-long Emerald Duchess can carry up to 2,000 cubic metres of dredged material and is fitted with a hybrid propulsion configuration consisting of a battery pack and engines that can run on hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
The vessel can also be modified to accommodate ethanol and methanol fuel cells after the necessary technology becomes available to PD Ports in the future. Hatches fitted above the engine room will allow power units to be swapped out for modern fuel cells as the technology matures, using methanol or ethanol fuel.
The hull shape of the vessel was designed to keep the fuel consumption as low as possible. An intelligent energy management system is also fitted.
As Statutory Harbour Authority (SHA), PD Ports has the licence to dredge to legally agreed levels to allow commercial operations along the River Tees and at the Port of Hartlepool, creating a safe and consistent passage for vessels of depths up to 17 metres.
The method of removing sediment brought into the river by the tides, which is then discharged into designated areas off the coast, is closely monitored and regulated by the Marine Management Organisation with a process that has been in place for more than 50 years.