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Scheldt River News

07 Aug 2023

Shipping Traffic on Belgium's Scheldt River Halted After Accident

Š AlvaroRT / Adobe Stock

Shipping traffic on Belgium's Scheldt River was halted until at least Tuesday morning 10am local time (0800 GMT) after a Dutch ship sank on Monday morning, a spokesperson for the Flemish agency for waterways said, confirming local media reports.The captain of the ship, which was transporting bricks, was the only person on board and was missing with rescue efforts underway to find him, the spokesperson, Max Verdonck, said.Verdonck added that five to 10 boats were currently stuck behind the sunken boat but couldn't confirm how many of those were leisure boats and how many were carrying cargo.He

20 Jan 2021

Belgium: In a First, Dredging Work in Flanders Powered by LNG

Credit: DEME

Belgium-based marine contractor DEME, on Wednesday, announced "a first" in Flanders, a region in the northern part of Belgium.Namely, its dual fuel trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) ‘Scheldt River’ is currently carrying out maintenance dredging work on the Scheldt river and during this work, the vessel is operating on LNG.In another milestone, DEME said that the ‘Scheldt River’ last week became the first dredger to be bunkered with LNG in the Port of Antwerp, near the Kallo lock.

18 Nov 2020

DEME Holds Naming Ceremony for Two New Dredgers

(Photo: DEME Group)

DEME hosted a digital naming ceremony for its two newest dual fuel trailing suction hopper dredgers built by Royal IHC.The 8,300 m³ Meuse River was officially named by the Flemish Minister for Mobility and Public Works, Lydia Peeters and the 15,000 m³ Bonny River by Els Verbraecken, Chief Financial Officer at DEME.When both vessels joined the fleet, they had a full order book and directly set course to their projects. But DEME planned to bring the vessels home for a few days of celebration before they set off again.

02 Jun 2020

DEME's New Dredger Completes Sea Trials

New dredger Meuse River will join the DEME fleet this month (Photo: DEME Group)

DEME Group's newbuild trailing suction hopper dredger Meuse River has completed sea trials in the North Sea and will join the Belgium-based contractor's fleet in June 2020.Built by Royal IHC in the Netherlands, the 7,950-cubic-meter Meuse River has the same design as DEME's existing hopper Scheldt River, which entered service in 2017. The dredgers feature several energy smart technologies developed by DEME and Royal IHC, such as a hybrid dredge pump drive system to reduce the effect of load variations.For automation of the dredging process…

24 Jan 2020

OSV Orion Fueled with LNG in Germany

Second ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation carried out in Germany and the first in the Port of Rostock (Source: Nauticor)

The world’s largest LNG bunker vessel ‘Kairos’, operated by Nauticor, has supplied DEME’s next generation offshore installation vessel Orion, this first such ship-to-ship bunker transfer at the Port of Rostock.Orion is currently at the Liebherr construction yard in the Port of Rostock, where it is being outfitted with a 5,000-ton crane. The new offshore installation vessel is the fifth dual fuel addition to the DEME fleet, following three trailing suction hopper dredgers (Minerva…

20 Nov 2019

Fairway Dredging Project Remains on Track

Port of Hamburg is continuing its dredging projects on the Elbe River as per plan. The second hopper dredger named Bonny River has been conducting dredging operations on the federal stretch and taking the spoil to the UWA - underwater dredged material disposal site at Medemrinne, from October.Built in 2018, the ‘Bonny River’ has a hold capacity of over 16,000 cubic meters; consequently having a highly efficient performance level.The holding area near Brunsbüttel and the widening work on the WSV - federal waterways and shipping stretch are finished. With the widening from 300 to 320 meters from Wedel to down river from the mouth of the River Stör…

17 Nov 2019

TSHD Meuse River Launched

The trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Meuse River, built for DEME Group at the Royal IHC shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, is launched.The launch ceremony of the the 7,950m³ vessel took place at IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, the Netherlands."Meuse River has the same innovative design as the award winning IHC-built TSHD Scheldt  River, which joined the DEME fleet in 2017 and since then operated non-stop on waterways and access channels in Europe," said a press release.Meuse River features several energy smart technologies, developed by DEME and IHC, such as a hybrid dredge pump drive system to reduce the effect of load variations.For automation of the dredging process, IHC developed the intelligent IHC ECO automation package, which results in high dredge performance.

04 Oct 2019

Ship-to-Ship LNG Bunkering Ops Commence in Germany

Source: Nauticor and BrunsbĂźttel Ports GmbH

Another milestone for the establishment of LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) as marine fuel in Germany has been achieved. Nauticor successfully conducted the first ship-to-ship LNG bunkering operation in a German port. The trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Scheldt River received the low emission fuel from the bunker supply vessel (BSV) Kairos.Today, the world’s largest LNG BSV Kairos conducted the first ship-to-ship bunkering operation in German waters. The vessel, which was christened in Hamburg on February 2019…

12 Apr 2019

DEME Wins Elbe Deepening Contract

DEME, an international group of specialized companies involved in complex marine engineering works, has won a major contract to carry out the deepening of the Elbe fairway in Germany.The Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group said that its German subsidiary Nordsee Nassbagger- und Tiefbau GmbH, based in Bremen, has acquired the maintenance dredging contract on the River Elbe in Germany.The contract has been awarded to a joint venture, including DEME’s German subsidiary, for a period of two years. DEME will maintain the whole 116 km long fairway of the Elbe between the North Sea and Hamburg.The TSHD ‘Marieke’ will…

23 Nov 2018

DEME Launches Orion

Belgian offshore vessel owner DEME has launched its next generation, giant new offshore installation vessel ‘Orion’ in a ceremony at the COSCO Qidong shipyard in China. ‘Orion’ will feature an unrivalled combination of exceptionally high transport and load capacity, impressive lifting heights and green technology.The launching marks a major milestone in the construction of this next generation vessel, which is progressing at the COSCO shipyard according to schedule. ‘Orion’ will be deployed for the construction of the largest offshore wind farms, to service the oil and gas industry and for the decommissioning of offshore installations.With a total installed capacity of 44…

12 Nov 2018

SPARTACUS: World’s Largest Cutter Suction Dredger Launched

Photo: Royal IHC

On November 10, Royal IHC successfully launched the Spartacus, a 44,180kW self-propelled cutter suction dredger (CSD) designed and built for DEME. The ceremony took place at IHC's shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands. It was performed by Mrs Fabienne Ackermans, the spouse of Mr Luc Bertrand (chairman of the Board of Directors of Ackermans & van Haaren, owner of DEME).Spartacus is reportedly the world’s largest CSD and the first to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The four main engines can run on LNG, marine diesel oil (MDO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO).

06 Nov 2018

Damen’s RSD Tug 2513 Nominated for KNVTS Award

Photo credit @Willem Koper

Damen’s radical new ‘always bow first’ RSD Tug 2513 has reached the final stage of this year’s prestigious Maritime Award KNVTS Ship of the Year prize. As one of the last three entrants in contention for the award, the Damen RSD Tug 2513 will be judged on a range of criteria including its design, safety, economy, durability and construction process, and the winner will be announced at the Gala Dinner taking place on November 12th.The 25-meter RSD Tug 2513 is the result of years of research and development by Damen in cooperation with its towage customers and research institute partners.

24 Sep 2018

Royal IHC to Build Four New Vessels for DEME

Scheldt River was delivered to DEME in 2017 (Photo: Royal IHC)

The Netherlands based Royal IHC said it has secured a contract from Belgium-based DEME for the design and build of four new vessels.The order consists of a copy of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) powered 8,400m3 trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Scheldt River delivered in 2017, as well as a 2,300m3 TSHD and two 3,500m3 split barges.The compact design of the 2,300m3 TSHD is characterized by a small draught and can be deployed for projects in shallow water worldwide, the builder said.The two split barges are based on the IHC standard split trail 3,500 design.

13 Feb 2018

Mobile LNG Bunkers Take Shape in Germany

Image: Nauticor

Nauticor has conducted the largest-ever LNG bunkering operation in Germany in the Elbehafen in Brunsbüttel. As the maritime market moves rapidly toward alternative fuel in the face of strict sulphur guidelines set to take effect in 2020, LNG is emerging as a prefered alternative, and the means to fuel commercial boats and ships of every size is taking shape in many forms. In Germany, for example, Nauticor has conducted the largest-ever LNG bunkering operation in Germany in the Elbehafen in Brunsbüttel…

02 Oct 2017

DEME Names Second LNG-fueled Dredger

The trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Scheldt River was officially named  at the DEME head office in Zwijndrecht, Belgium. The dredger was named by Veerle Hegge, the wife of Bart De Wever, Mayor of Antwerp. The 8,400 m³ Scheldt River is the second dredger in the DEME fleet equipped with dual fuel engines. The highly innovative vessel can operate in LNG mode, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, almost eliminating sulphur, NOx and particle emissions. LNG is intrinsically clean and there is no need for exhaust gas cleaning systems. Scheldt River was built at Royal IHC’s shipyard in the Netherlands. The new vessel is part of DEME’s multi-year fleet investment programme, focused on further increasing efficiency, both in terms of productivity and environmental performance.

01 Mar 2017

DEME Orders World’s Largest Cutter Suction Dredger

Image: DEME Group

Royal IHC said it has been awarded a contract for the design, construction and delivery of a 164m-long, 44,180kW self-propelled cutter suction dredger (CSD) for DEME in Belgium. The vessel, Spartacus, will be built in the Netherlands for summer 2019 delivery. Spartacus will be the world’s first CSD powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), following on the order for the first LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs) Minerva and Scheldt River, and the LNG-ready Bonny River, that are currently under construction at IHC’s shipyards.

31 Jan 2017

Video: LNG-powered Dredger Scheldt River Launched

Scheldt River (Photo: Royal IHC)

DEME Group’s second LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Scheldt River is part of a new generation of dual fuel hoppers that set out to achieve new standards in environmental performance. Launched January 14 at Royal IHC's shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands, the 7,950m3 vessel possesses a number of innovative features and technologies, including an IHC-patented two-speed gearbox as well as a newly developed wing-shaped bow thruster tunnel. A video showing the construction process and launching is available here.

15 Jan 2017

Royal IHC launches DEME’s LNG-powered TSHD

The launch ceremony of DEME’s 7,950m3 dual fuel trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) –SCHELDT RIVER – took place on 14 January at Royal IHC's shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands. “After the successful launch of the world’s first LNG-powered hopper MINERVA on 3 December, I am delighted to see SCHELDT RIVER – the second IHC-built TSHD capable of operating on LNG – nearing completion,” says IHC's Executive Director Shipbuilding, Arjan Klijnsoon. As a result of IHC’s continuous research effort on fuel saving and analysis of operational profiles, it has developed a two-speed propulsion drive. In contrast to conventional single speed propulsion, the IHC-patented two-speed gearbox ensures fuel savings when sailing at lower speeds.

11 Nov 2016

DEME, Royal IHC win DPC Innovation Award

On November 10, DEME and Royal IHC have been awarded a DPC Innovation Award for the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHD). The DPC Innovation Awards consisted of 13 categories looking at the most innovative and forward-thinking projects that the dredging and port construction industry has to offer. DEME and Royal IHC won the award in the “Innovation in Dredger Design” category. Since a few years, DEME has embarked on a comprehensive fleet expansion programme and a number of vessels are currently being built to significantly increase efficiency, both in terms of productivity and environmental performance.

13 Apr 2016

Antwerp, Montreal Ports Renew Cooperation

Yesterday during a joint trade mission in Montreal, the port authorities of Montreal and Antwerp, Belgium renewed their cooperative agreement. The first agreement, signed in March 2013, resulted in four trade missions to Montreal and Antwerp during which extensive business contacts were developed. These meetings also enabled productive exchanges of information on issues such as sustainable development, land use, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union, global trends in the markets, and the development of port logistics zones. As Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA)…

14 Dec 2015

Dual-fuel Engines for DEME’s New Dredger

Image: Anglo Belgian Corporation

Anglo Belgian Corporation, a manufacturer of medium speed diesel engines, announced the sale of two 16VDZD dual fuel engines that will power a new build vessel for the Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME. This agreement was officialized with the Dutch shipyard Royal IHC. The commissioning of the dredger Minerva is scheduled for late 2016, making it the first dredging vessel that will be equipped with dual fuel engines, in addition to DEME's other trailing suction hopper dredger Scheldt River that will be built and put into service around the same time.

06 Aug 2015

Wärtsilä to Power First Dual-Fuelled Dredger

A new generation "Antigoon" class dredger, called Scheldt River, being built by Royal IHC in the Netherlands on behalf of the Belgium based DEME Group, is to be powered by Wärtsilä dual-fuel (DF) engines. This will be the first ever dredger to operate on engines capable of utilising either liquefied natural gas (LNG) or conventional marine fuels. The contract with Wärtsilä was signed in July. The 104-meter-long vessel will have a hopper volume capacity of approximately 8,000 cubic metres. The scope of supply includes one 12-cylinder and one 9-cylinder Wärtsilä 34DF engines, two Wärtsilä controllable pitch propellers and two transverse thrusters as well as the company's patented LNGPac gas supply and storage system.

30 Jan 2013

Belgian Sea Lock to be partly Financed

The construction of a sea lock in the Port of Antwerp in Belgium will be partly funded via the TEN-T Program. The project will receive €5 million in contribution to ensure that one of the bottlenecks currently restricting capacity at the port is removed. The aim of the project, which was selected for funding under the 2011 TEN-T Annual Call, is to build a sea lock in the Port of Antwerp, one of northern Europe’s busiest ports. The new lock will create a new connection between the tidal Deurganckdock and the non-tidal docks of Waaslandhaven. The dimensions of the new lock will be the same as those of the Berendrecht lock, located on the right bank of the Scheldt river, which is currently the biggest sea lock in the world.