VESSEL REVIEW | Emerald Duchess – UK's PD Ports places low-emission hopper dredger into service

UK operator PD Ports recently welcomed its newest trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) following its arrival from the Netherlands in late August 2024. Named Emerald Duchess, the TSHD was designed by Dutch naval architecture firm DEKC Maritime to satisfy high environmental and safety standards.

Hybrid propulsion for operational flexibility

The 71-metre (230-foot) Emerald Duchess can carry up to 2,000 cubic metres (71,000 cubic feet) of dredged material totalling 2,500 tonnes and is fitted with a hybrid propulsion configuration consisting of a battery pack and engines that can run on renewable hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

Switching between the two means of propulsive power can be done quickly, thus ensuring operational flexibility particularly when dredging and navigating to and from one or more work sites on the same day.

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 to help optimise energy use, thus ensuring improved operating efficiency.

Built with a long service life

As Statutory Harbour Authority (SHA), PD Ports has the licence to dredge to legally agreed levels to allow commercial operations along the 19-kilometre (12-mile) stretch between the River Tees and the Port of Hartlepool, creating a safe and consistent passage for vessels of depths up to 17 metres (56 feet).

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.

Emerald Duchess was acquired for a total cost of £23 million (US$31 million). The TSHD, which has a projected service life of 40 years, will replace Cleveland County, PD Ports’ current dredger operating on the Tees.