Image credit: Van Oord

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Van Oord - a leading contractor specialising in dredging, marine engineering and offshore projects - has announced that its new crane vessel, the Werkendam, has been launched in Rotterdam. It is the first LNG-powered vessel in the company's fleet.

The ship's delivery and christening are scheduled to take place in April. Once it is put into service, the Werkendam will be able to run on LNG with marine gas oil (MGO) as backup. With a 38-cubic-metre tank on the aft deck, the ship will be able to store enough LNG on board to sail and operate for 14 days without needing to refuel with LNG.

Thanks to its 'smart' features, the vessel is expected to use less fuel and emit less CO2 without compromising operational production. It is equipped with various sensors and energy storage systems. The sensors will monitor the energy consumption of almost all of the equipment and systems on board.

Commenting on the project, Jaap de Jong, Staff Director of the Ship Management Department at Van Oord, said: "Energy efficiency is one of the top items on our sustainability agenda. To reduce our carbon footprint, we are researching the use of alternative fuels, such as LNG and biofuel. With this investment, we will be gaining experience of LNG-powered vessels and the related benefits."

The Werkendam is to generally be deployed to Netherlands-based projects executed by subsidiary Paans Van Oord. Some of the affiliate's other crane vessels are currently deployed at the Houtrib dike, where a Van Oord consortium is reinforcing both sides of a 25-kilometre-long section of the dike with sand and rock. The Houtrib dike, which links Enkhuizen and Lelystad, protects large parts of the Netherlands from flooding.

Specifications of the vessel have been provided below.

Length: 68.40 metres
Breadth overall: 11.40 metres
Hopper capacity: 700 cubic metres
Propulsion: 2 x 550 Kilowatts (kW)
Bow thruster: 450 Kilowatts (kW)
LNG-powered generator: 3 x 475 Kilowatts (kW)
LNG tank: 1 x 38 cubic metres
Spud poles: 2 x, electric-powered
Crane: -Type: four-rope grab crane
-Lifting capacity: 20 tonnes at 20 metres and 25 tonnes at 16 metres