PD Ports ‘helps sustain thousands of jobs’ with £23 million dredger investment

A port operator has made a £23 million investment it says will help safeguard more than 20,000 posts.

PD Ports has welcomed the Emerald Duchess dredger to its Teesport base.

Bosses say the 71-metre long vessel will help “keep the beating heart of the region working effectively (and) sustain around 22,000 jobs” by ensuring the River Tees and Port of Hartlepool remain clear for commercial operations.

They also say it adds to the operator’s ambitions of becoming the UK’s most sustainable port company, having recently fitted two £9 million electric-hydraulic bulk cargo cranes at Tees Dock.

Able to switch between power supplied from a battery pack equivalent to ten Tesla cars and fuel made from hydrotreated vegetable oil, they add the dredger has capacity to allow power units to be swapped for modern fuel cells as technology matures.

Frans Calje, PD Ports’ chief executive, said: “The Emerald Duchess is a major investment and represents our commitment to the river and our wider responsibilities as statutory harbour authority.

“Without dredging, all economic activity on the Tees would stop within weeks, if not days.

“This vessel has a lifespan of around 40 years, so it was important to design in flexibility to adapt to the amazing progress that’s being made in decarbonised fuels.

“I look forward to seeing the Emerald Duchess working out on the river, keeping it safe and accessible for many years to come.”