Partnership with Van Oord
Peel Ports Group has introduced an energy-efficient LNG dredger, marking a significant step towards enhancing the sustainability of its dredging operations.
Peel Ports partnered with Dutch marine contractor Van Oord to deploy the Vox Apolonia for maintenance dredging at Port of Liverpool and Glasgow’s King George V Dock.
It is the first time the LNG trailing suction hopper dredger has been used at any of the group’s ports and only the second time it has carried out work in the UK.
Commitment to Net-Zero Operations
The Vox Apolonia uses liquefied natural gas (LNG) and has a significantly lower carbon footprint than conventional trailing suction hopper dredgers. The use of LNG reduces nitrous oxide emissions by 90 percent, as well as eliminating sulfur emissions.
Aligned with its commitment to becoming a net-zero port operator by 2040, the Peel Ports Group welcomed the vessel to the Port of Liverpool earlier this month, deploying it for tasks in Glasgow and then welcoming it back for additional work at the Liverpool site.
At the same time, Van Oord also provided its new hybrid water-injection dredger Maas to the port, bunkered for the first time with a biofuel blend. The company estimates she emits 40 percent less CO2e than her predecessor while dredging for the port group in Liverpool.
It comes as the firm supplied four separate vessels to carry out essential dredging of the Liverpool channel and docks simultaneously.
Garry Doyle, Group Harbour Master at Peel Ports Group, said, “We are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment across our port estate. We are striving to become net zero across the group by 2040, and the Vox Apolonia is a step ahead in terms of its sustainability credentials.
Marine Bourgeois, Project Manager at Van Oord, said, “We’re constantly researching and investing to bring our fleet to the next level in terms of sustainability. We have our own commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and the Vox Apolonia is the next step towards that goal.”