Wärtsilä engine orders for world's first LNG dual-fuel dredger

Under construction at Royal IHC in the Netherlands, the “Antigoon” class dredger will have 8,000 cu m hopper volume.

Wärtsilä will supply power, including a 12-cylinder and 9-cylinder 34DF engine, propulsion, including two Wärtsilä controllable pitch propellers and two transverse thrusters, and LNGPac gas supply and storage system.

The vessel comes at a time of increased opposition to the practice of dredging from environmental groups. "Environmental considerations are extremely important for every new vessel built today,” asserted DEME head of newbuilding and conversion department Jan Gabriël. “Operating on LNG allows DEME to set new standards in minimising harmful emissions. Scheldt River will easily comply with all local and international environmental regulations. Wärtsilä's dual-fuel know-how and in particular the 34DF engine series made our concept feasible.”

"We congratulate the shipyard and owners for taking the decision to have this new dredger become the first to be capable of using LNG or diesel fuel," said Lars Anderson, vp of engine sales at Wärtsilä Marine Solutions.

This is the second dredger-related order for Wärtsilä in recent months, following an order for an integrated solutions package for one of the world's largest self-propelled cutter dredger newbuilds in China.