Jan De Nul dredgers receive new Bureau Veritas ultra-low emissions notation

Jan De Nul Group’s newest hopper dredgers – SANDERUS, ORTELIUS, TRISTÃO DA CUHNA, AFONSO DE ALBUQUERQUE, and DIOGO CÃO – are the first ships to receive the new notation of Bureau Veritas (BV) that recognizes the performance of ultra-low emission vessels (ULEVs).

These JDN dredgers are specifically designed for ultra-low emissions, including installation of a two-stage catalytic filter system, and can outperform the most stringent low emissions operational policies.

The ULEV notation is Bureau Veritas’ newest recognition for ultra-low emission vessels. It can be assigned to ships that exceed existing MARPOL requirements for lowering pollutant emissions.

The voluntary notation accounts for air quality, including hydrocarbons, carbon, NOx, and particulate matter, as well as particle numbers. For shipowners looking to distinguish their fleets, the ULEV notation helps demonstrate a real and significant commitment to environmental protection.

Laurent Leblanc, Senior Vice President Technical & Operations at Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore commented: “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.”

As well as design solutions, 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, its first Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger in Zeebrugge has been operating on 100% biofuel. Jan De Nul Group is considering this switch for other dredging vessels, reported Bureau Veritas.

“Even if the dredging industry accounts for only 0.1% of the total emission 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,” commented Michel Deruyck, Head of Energy at JDN. “Jan De Nul focuses on minimalizing 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 (SCR) system and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). This new notation demonstrates our commitment to a cleaner, greener shipping sector.”

First published in 2019, Bureau Veritas developed the ULEV notation by carefully adapting the European Commission’s Stage V policy for emissions reduction to the specific needs of sea-going vessels.

Originally developed for internal combustion engines for non-road mobile machinery – including inland vessels – Bureau Veritas’ experts have reworked the existing requirements to develop an exacting set of standards for seagoing ships. Jan De Nul’s new dredgers reflect a commitment to focus on air quality and minimization of their operational impact.