A new dredger ordered by UK operator PD Ports was recently launched into the water for the first time.
Emerald Duchess was designed to satisfy high environmental and safety standards. Construction took place in Poland while sea trials will be conducted following the vessel's arrival in the Netherlands.
The 71-metre-long Emerald Duchess will be 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.
The hull shape of the vessel was designed to keep the fuel consumption as low as possible. An intelligent energy management system will also be fitted.
Delivery of the vessel is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024.