Royal IHC has received an approval in principle (AiP) from class society Bureau Veritas for the design of a hydrogen-fuelled trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD)
The Dutch shipbuilder and designer is working in partnership with Rijkswaterstaat, part of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, to develop a new type of vessel called a low energy adaptive fuel (LEAF) hopper.
The AiP from Bureau Veritas means that the proposed design of the vessel, encompassing its features and specifications, has been deemed acceptable in this early design stage and that the hydrogen system has been safely integrated. This will lead to continued development of the LEAF vessel.
Research began in 2019 with the aim of developing a vessel that could be operational in 2024. Rijkswaterstaat plans to become carbon neutral by 2030 and required cost-effective solutions for its coastal protection projects that could significantly reduce CO2 starting 2024.
With this in mind, Royal IHC has been developing a hydrogen-powered TSHD that is designed to be used to maintain the Dutch coastline. The LEAF hopper will contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and harmful exhaust gas emissions generated nearshore and close to coastal cities. When operating on hydrogen, the vessel emits only water vapour, said Royal IHC.
A minimal amount of CO2, SOx, NOx and particulate matter is released only during the construction of the vessel and in producing green hydrogen. Additionally, many design features on the LEAF hopper contribute to low energy consumption, including an electric-drive train and energy-recovery systems, explains the Dutch ship designer.
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