Boskalis signs for methanol-ready dredger

Boskalis has become the latest in a long line of shipowners to sign up for methanol as an alternative fuel for one of its newbuilds. The Dutch dredging and marine engineering firm has contracted compatriot shipbuilder Royal IHC for the construction of methanol-ready and one of the largest trailing suction hopper dredgers in its fleet.

The contract for the 31,000 cu m ship that will be built at the IHC yard in Krimpen aan den IJssel over the next few years follows an extensive design phase and a letter of intent penned in June this year.

The energy-efficient newbuild will include full diesel-electric installation and propulsion via Azipods, which, combined with the optimised underwater hull design and an advanced automation system, will contribute to significantly lower fuel consumption, Boskalis said.

The methanol plant and storage tanks onboard will allow for a switch to this fuel, while the dual-fuel main engines will be equipped with two-stage turbos powered by both conventional fuels and biodiesel and methanol.

The collaboration between Royal IHC and Boskalis goes back a long way with the most recently delivered megacutters Krios and Helios, in addition to trailing suction hopper dredgers Gateway, Crestway, Willem Van Oranje and Prins Der Nederlanden.