Jan De Nul plans to reduce CO₂ emissions by 15% a year
Jan De Nul Group has revealed its commitment to reduce CO₂ emissions by 15% a year during maintenance dredging works at the Nieuwpoort coastal marina, the company said in its release. It is the first dredging company in the world to aspire to such a reduction in a commercial application for a project. In collaboration with the Flemish government, the company also wants to include by 2020 a minimum requirement of 15% CO₂ reduction in 80% of maintenance dredging contracts in Flanders.
Upon issuing an invitation to tender for the maintenance dredging works in the Nieuwpoort coastal marina, the Flemish governmental Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services gave the market maximum opportunities to focus on CO₂ reduction through innovation. Jan De Nul Group won the contract by promising to reduce CO₂ emissions by 15% annually. This is unprecedented in the sector. Never before has a dredging company aspired to such a CO₂ emission reduction target in a commercial application for a project.
Jan De Nul Group is focusing in particular on drop-in biofuel to achieve the ambitious CO₂ reduction target. This is a high quality, sustainable replacement of fossil diesel, made of vegetable oils or waste flows. The thing about drop-in biofuel is that engines do not have to be adapted in order to use it. Furthermore, not only are CO₂ emissions reduced, but far less fine dust is released in the air. Drop-in biofuel also burns a lot more efficiently than conventional diesel. Because drop-in biofuel uses waste flows as a raw material, it is also beneficial to the circular economy. Finally, it is a very clean fuel that is extremely suitable for high-grade engines.
With this approach and by choosing Jan De Nul Group, the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services (known by the Dutch initials MDK), within the Department of Mobility and Public Works, has showcased its pioneering profile within the Flemish government to achieve the reduction targets. Under the Paris Climate Agreement, our country has committed to reducing CO₂ emissions by 15% by 2020.
The project also is in line with Jan De Nul Group’s aspiration to play a pioneering role and to roll out a sector-wide CO₂ emission reduction programme. The dredging company wants to have a minimum 15% CO₂ reduction requirement introduced in 80% of maintenance dredging contracts in Flanders by 2022.
The announcement of the targets comes shortly after the Flemish Government’s decision to agree to a three-year pilot project for testing the CO₂ performance ladder for government contracts. This ladder was developed in 2009 in the Netherlands as an instrument and certification scheme to stimulate CO₂ reduction, and turned out to be very successful. The Flemish pilot project will kick off in September 2019 and last until September 2022. The expected result is that contractors will be awarded contracts if they offer maximum quality, minimal CO₂ emissions and a fair price.
