Jan De Nul starts rolling out its ACT GREEN programme in Nieuwpoort

Jan De Nul starts rolling out its ACT GREEN programme in Nieuwpoort
Jan De Nul Group

Early this week, the maintenance dredging works in the marinas of Nieuwpoort on the Belgian coast, got underway. A large part of these works are executed by means of the Cutter Suction Dredger Hendrik Geeraert and the split hopper barges Magellano and Verrazzano. 

Earlier this year, Jan De Nul Group announced its commitment to emit 15% less CO2 on this project. To achieve this goal the vessels Magellano and Verrazzano will be equipped with renewable biofuel from certified and sustainable waste flows. Together with the Alexander von Humboldt, Jan De Nul Group now has three vessels in the Benelux sailing on sustainable biofuel.

To further highlight its pioneering role, Jan De Nul Group has set up its newly developed energy-efficient construction shed, which consumes about 80% less energy than a standard construction site office, for its local office in Nieuwpoort. A first in Belgium.

As earlier mentioned, three Jan De Nul vessels in the Benelux are currently running on 100% sustainable fuel. And the ambitions are to go much higher. 

Michel Deruyck, Head of the Energy Team of Jan De Nul Group, says:

“In early 2020, our brand new trailing suction hopper dredger Sanderus will come to Belgium to execute maintenance dredging works on the river Scheldt and alongside the coast. Like all our new vessels, this new dredger is a ULEv (Ultra-Low Emission vessel). It is equipped with a state-of-the-art exhaust gas treatment system that extracts up to 99% of the nanoparticles from exhaust gases. Add to this the renewable fuel that will be used for this vessel and you’ll have a huge CO2 reduction and strongly decreased air emissions.”

Besides, measurements show that these vessels emit more than 90% less nitrous oxides (NOx). Michel Deruyck adds:

"It is exactly the emission of this nitrous oxide that appears to be problematic during the execution of the replenishment works ‘Kustlijnzorg’ in the Netherlands.”

Jan De Nul Group also invests in the energy efficiency of its infrastructure and starts rolling out its ACT GREEN programme on the site in Nieuwpoort. 

The site is equipped with the very latest energy-efficient construction shed. Through the extra insulation of walls, roof and floor, combined with triple glass, door pumps and an improved air density, heat and cold losses are minimised. Solar panels on the roof provide energy, a heat pump ensures heating and cooling. Conventional lights are replaced by led lighting. 

All these measures result in 80% less energy consumption. Michel Deruyck says:

“With our construction shed 2.0, we show both our employees and clients our high sustainability ambitions throughout all our business operations: from the very smallest to the highest energy consumers. In this way, we at Jan De Nul want to show to our colleagues within the construction industry that energy efficiency needn’t be difficult.”

In its invitation for tenders for maintenance dredging works in the coastal marine of Nieuwpoort, the Flemish government, through its agency ‘Maritieme Dienstverlening en Kust’ (Marine and Coastal Services MDK), encouraged tenderers to pay maximum attention to CO2 reduction through innovation. The submitted CO2 reduction proposals were taken into account when assessing the tender and contract allocation.

Nathalie Balcaen, Administrator-General of the MDK Agency, says:

“As a Flemish marine government agency, we want to focus on limiting our environmental impact in all ways possible. That is why we pay special attention to ecological criteria when inviting for tenders. This already results today in a concrete CO2 reduction thanks to the ecologically sound execution of dredging works based on the initiatives of the contractors with which we work together.”