Scheldt River

The Scheldt River is a state-of-the-art trailing suction hopper dredger built for DEME Group and launched on 14 January 2017 at the Royal IHC shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands, as part of a fleet investment aimed at increasing both productivity and environmental performance in dredging operations.

From a technical standpoint, the vessel measures 115.80 metres in overall length, has a beam of 25 metres, and a hull depth of 9 metres. Its loaded draft is approximately 6.50 metres, and it has an installed power of about 10 860–11 214 kW, enabling a maximum loaded service speed of around 14 knots as it transits between dredging assignments. The Scheldt River’s large hopper volume of roughly 7 950 m³ allows it to collect and transport significant quantities of seabed material during maintenance dredging or capital dredging tasks.

Built according to a “green” design, the Scheldt River was awarded both a Green Passport and a Clean Design notation, signaling that its construction and outfitting adhere to advanced environmental standards. The ship is equipped with dual-fuel engines and LNG tanks, ensuring compliance with all international emission requirements, particularly within the Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECA). This dual-fuel technology is both sustainable and future-oriented, as it enables the engines to operate on either diesel fuel (FO) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) while limiting CO₂, NOx, and SOx emissions to the strictest minimum. In view of this innovative technology, the vessels are manned with specially trained high-tech personnel and are regarded as “best in class” within their specific category. Both dredgers (Scheldt River and its sister ship Minerva) feature dual fuel engines (FO and LNG) and were launched in early 2017, with the Scheldt River entering the water on 14 January 2017.

The dredger’s operational system centers around large 1 200 mm diameter suction pipes that trail across the seabed or riverbed, lifting slurry into the hopper. In standard configuration the vessel can dredge to depths around 31 – 34 metres, with extended and special installations enabling operations down to about 60 metres when required.

A core feature of the Scheldt River is its dual-fuel propulsion system, designed to balance environmental performance with operational flexibility. By using LNG, which burns cleaner than traditional diesel, emissions of sulphur oxides and particulate matter are drastically reduced, and nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide are significantly lower compared to diesel-only operation. This dual-fuel capability allows the vessel to meet and exceed stringent marine emission regulations without relying solely on exhaust after-treatment systems, and the LNG system includes cryogenic tanks and specialized fuel handling equipment to support safe and efficient operation.

Because of the advanced technology involved, DEME invested not only in the hardware but also in the training and qualification of crew and technical personnel who operate and maintain these systems. The Scheldt River and ships of its class were designed not just for immediate compliance with environmental legislation, but to serve as examples of future-proof engineering capable of meeting rising expectations for reduced emissions in the dredging industry.