Netherlands' Ploegam christens new electric hopper barge

Dutch civil construction company Ploegam has formally named its newest electric hopper barge.

Merwestroom was built by local shipyard Groeneveldt Marine Construction. The barge has a length of 60 metres, a beam of 9.5 metres, and a hopper capacity of approximately 400 cubic metres. Navigation is possible even in inland waters.

The hopper will have the option to be covered with steel bulkheads to create a working deck, and the bulkheads themselves will also be able to be used as work pontoons.

The vessel is equipped with a Ro-Ro facility with 12-metre-long steel bulkheads at the front and side. This will allow up to 100 tonnes of equipment to be brought on board.

The wheelhouse has been designed to be raised up to two metres to ensure optimal visibility, even with the 100-tonne crane fitted on the deck. A truck-mounted crane is also fitted.

The propulsion setup include two Veth thrusters connected to permanent magnet motors, which are in turn driven by batteries.