One of the UK’s leading waste management and recycling companies Cory Group has ordered two Shoalbuster multipurpose workboats from Damen Shipyards with IMO Tier III-compliant propulsion
These will be built at Damen Shipyards Hardinxveld in the Netherlands to a Damen Shoalbuster 2208 design for moving barges loaded with waste along the River Thames, with compact selective catalytic reduction systems fitted to fuel-efficient MAN engines to minimise NOx emissions.
Cory needed to expand its fleet to transport non-recyclable waste to its new energy-from-waste (EfW) facility due to begin next year. Riverside 2 will be Cory’s second facility, located adjacent to the current facility in south London and will process 650,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste per year to generate electricity. This EfW will help address the need within London and southeast England for additional waste processing infrastructure.
Cory requested additions, upgrades and changes to the generic Shoalbuster 2208 design as the River Thames is one of the UK’s busiest waterways, with strong currents and restricted manoeuvring space.
On these vessels, the bow thrusters will be electrical, powered by three generators with a triple-load, parallel-running system. This will deliver redundancy, be more compact and easier to maintain.
The fender arrangement is being upgraded to provide all-round protection to the topsides as they manage their barges. The wheelhouses are being upgraded to reduce sound levels on the bridge, improve sightlines, reduce window reflections and maximise the overall space available.
Damen will remove the passage between the engineroom and the wheelhouse to free up space for a dedicated aft control station to give improved sightlines back to the stern.
Enhancements on the deck will be mostly safety-driven and focus on improving the use of space, such as lowering the layout of the bulwark and pushbow to give improved views forward.
The new vessels will join four Shoalbusters Cory bought from Damen 10 years ago to manoeuvre barges along the River Thames.
“As we continue to grow as a business, ensuring our river-based fleet is of the right scale and capability is essential,” said Cory director of logistics Fran Comerford Cole. “We are building on our existing partnership with Damen and drawing on their experience and expertise to make vital upgrades to the new tugs.”
These multipurpose workboats enable Cory to take refuse trucks off the road by using the river.
“Both vessels will be joining an impressive Damen fleet on the Thames in London and during operations they will be supported via the UK’s Damen service hub located in Portsmouth,” said Damen sales manager for the UK and Ireland, Frederik van der Linde.
