Van Oord launches dredgers and survey vessel
Van Oord has launched the latest additions to its fleet with the christening of two hybrid water injection dredgers and an unmanned survey vessel.
The family-owned company also welcomed new CEO Govert van Oord, as Pieter van Oord steps away from the helm.
The dredgers, Rijn and Rhône, are sister vessels of Maasa and Mersey, which were commissioned in 2021.
Van Oord describes the dredgers as ’among the most sustainable water injection dredgers to date’ with Ultra Low Emission Vessel notation.
“The combination of hybrid energy management systems, heat recovery systems and exhaust gas after-treatment devices reduce the vessels’ energy consumption and emissions of greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter,” it says.
A lot of the dredging process can be automated, Van Oord says, thanks to active heave compensation and dynamic positioning technologies.
Van Oord’s fifth unmanned autonomous survey vessel was also christened at the ceremony, which Van Oord contracted DEMCON Unmanned Systems to deliver, after its previous four.
VO: X Barentsz is a larger UAV than the previous four, Van Oord said, without giving further details.
CEO Pieter van Oord gave way to new CEO Govert van Oord after 15 years at the helm and 30 years with the family-owned company.
“It was a festive occasion full of memorable milestones,” the company said.
