Could We Dredge the Netherlands Without Fossil Fuels?

The Netherlands dredges 30–35 million m3 of mud annually, with 20 million m3 removed from the Rotterdam port alone, and 3.5–5 million m3 of contaminated sediment requiring landfill. Modern suction-hopper dredgers consume up to 3,000 litres of fuel per hour, while historic methods relied on hand-operated “dredge bags,” tread-driven dredge mills, and animal, wind, or tidal power. Increasing ship sizes and a modal-shift to water transport are driving higher dredging demand.