Green Bed Leveler for Dutch Dredging

With the delivery of the Peter last Thursday, Dutch Dredging (Baggerbedrijf de Boer) claims to have added “the world's most sustainable bed leveler” to its fleet.

The 22.4-metre-long vessel, built by Hoekman Shipbuilding in Urk, the Netherlands, complies with International Maritime Organization (IMO) Tier 3 emissions standards as well as the Euro Stage 5 standard for emissions in inland shipping.

John Nieuwenhuijse, the manager of New Building at Baggerbedrijf de Boer – Dutch Dredging, said the vessel’s two 550 hp Scania main engines are fitted out with after-treatment systems to clean exhaust gases. “We installed a selective catalytic reduction system (SCR) in the exhaust that converts nitrogen oxides (NOx) into water vapor and nitrogen. We also have diesel particulate filters (DPF) to reduce soot emissions. So we can now cater to the increasing demand from clients for low-emission vessels.”

With the installation of these systems, the dredging company is taking pre-emptive steps to comply with the legislation that IMO Tier 3 and Euro Stage 5 will only make compulsory in 2019 and 2020 respectively. The Peter also has a Green Passport from the IMO.

The Peter is an even more advanced version of the sister ship Kees jr. The multifunctional bed leveler and tugboat is 7 meters wide and it has a draught of 2.8 meters. The vessel is fitted with, among other things, a multibeam and single beam so that the bed can be fully mapped out in three dimensions. These surveys not only serve to analyze the work to be done, but also to account to the clients.

The Peter is the fifth bed leveler in the Dutch Dredging fleet, which now has the Kees jr. working in Hamburg.