A dredging vessel will be the first to run entirely on biofuel oil, reducing carbon output by 90 per cent.

Dutch company Royal Boskalis Westminster NV (Boskalis) has joined up with biofuels supplier GoodFuels to launch the Willem van Oranje, as part of its Boskalis on Bio program to test the sustainability of biofuel oil, which solely consists of used cooking oil.

Willem van Oranje is 143 metres long and has a hopper capacity of 12,000 cubic metrics and total installed power of 13,870 kW.

According to the company, the trailing suction dredger can dredge to a depth of 62 metres, which is why it is used on some of the most diverse maritime projects around the globe.

The idea to launch a dredger powered entirely by biofuel follows the launch of the Boskalis on Bio program in 2015. This aims to result in a “substantial reduction in carbon emissions from both its vessels and its dry earthmoving equipment and trucks”.

Over the last four years, the organisation has used different blends of biofuel to power various dredging vessels, offshore installation equipment, and dry earthmoving machinery.

An example of this is the installation of an export cable to the Borssele offshore wind farm in the Netherlands.

It ran its vessels on a biofuel blend of up to 30 per cent for the project, helping the Boskalis on Bio program fulfil its aim at reducing its carbon emissions by 35 per cent over the next five years.