Bureau Veritas (BV) has developed a new notation to recognise the performance of ultra-low emissions vessels (ULEVs) and has granted the first such certification to Jan De Nul Group’s new batch of trailing suction hopper dredgers
The ULEV vessels Sanderus, Ortelius, Tristão da Cunha, Afonso de Albuquerque and Diogo Cão are the first ships to receive this recognition. The Jan De Nul units have been specifically designed for ultra-low emissions, with a two-stage catalytic filter system installed, and can outperform the most stringent low-emissions operational policies.
BV’s ULEV notation is a voluntary notation assigned to ships that exceed the existing Marpol requirements for lowering pollutant emissions.
Describing it as “the most advanced set of requirements regarding the capacity of a ship to emit gaseous pollutants and particular pollutants at a very low level”, BV said shipowners looking to distinguish their fleets can demonstrate a real and significant commitment to environmental protection by sporting the notation which accounts for air quality, including hydrocarbons, carbon, NOx, and particulate matter, as well as particle numbers.
Jan De Nul Group head of energy Michel Deruyck said “Air pollution is one of the biggest dangers to public health. Marine construction activities are mostly situated in the vicinity of coastlines, ports and harbours, and densely populated areas. Even if the dredging industry accounts for only 0.1% of the total emissions of global shipping traffic, we feel personally involved in this issue and regard it as one of our core missions to do something about it. Jan De Nul focuses on minimising the footprint of its maritime activities on ambient air quality and climate, and therefore designs its latest vessels fitted with a highly advanced exhaust gas filtering system by means of a selective catalytic reduction system and a diesel particulate filter. This new notation demonstrates our commitment to a cleaner, greener shipping sector.”
BV Marine and Offshore senior vice president, technical & operations, Laurent Leblanc said “BV welcomes the initiative taken by Jan De Nul to make their vessels more environmentally efficient than the requirements of applicable maritime regulation. Bureau Veritas is proud to support and work with shipowners on their sustainability journey.”
In addition, Jan De Nul Group is adopting 100% renewable fuel, as a certified sustainable substitute for fossil fuel made from waste flows. Since the end of 2019, the company’s first trailing suction hopper dredger in Zeebrugge has been operating on 100% biofuel and the company is considering making the switch to biofuel for other dredging vessels.
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