Boskalis Takes Delivery of Largest Biofuel Consignment to Date

Dutch dredging and marine services company Boskalis said it has taken delivery of its largest-ever consignment of drop-in biofuel which will be used to power two hopper dredgers on upcoming projects in northwestern Europe.

The use of cleaner-burning biofuel will result in a CO2 reduction of approximately 90% for the 12,000 m3 hopper dredger Willem van Oranje and approximately 45% for the 4,500 m3 hopper dredger Strandway, the company said.

The delivery of approximately 1,000 m3 of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), a sustainable biofuel derived from used cooking oil, was in collaboration with Boskalis’ long-term partner and fuel supplier GoodFuels.

Boskalis’ own testing program with GoodFuels and engine manufacturer Wärtsilä that began in 2015 has demonstrated that drop-in marine biofuels can reduce the CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared to fossil fuels. In 2019, as part of the ‘Boskalis on Bio’ program, the Willem van Oranje became the world’s first dredging vessel to operate on 100% biofuel oil. Since then, Boskalis has used various biofuel blends as an alternative to fossil fuels on both dredging and offshore installation vessels, as well as for dry earthmoving equipment, resulting in a considerable emissions reductions.

Through its agreement with GoodFuels, Boskalis enables its clients to opt for biofuel-powered vessels to reduce their carbon emissions on projects. Last year 80% of Boskalis’ project tenders in The Netherlands included sustainability measures, including options to use biofuels.