Luxembourg's Economy Minister Visits Jan De Nul Dredger in Antwerp

On Tuesday 28 September, Luxembourg's Minister of the Economy, Franz Fayot, visited a Jan De Nul dredger operating on the Scheldt in Antwerp.

During the visit, the Economy Minister also met with the managers of the Capellen-headquartered Jan De Nul Group. He was accompanied by the Government Commissioner for Maritime Affairs, Robert Biwer. 

A leader in the maritime dredging industry, Jan De Nul Group is also an expert in other fields of activity such as the production of energy at sea, complex infrastructure and civil engineering works or the treatment of all forms of pollution. The group started its activity in Luxembourg with its Dredging and Maritime Management SA (DMM) branch in 1995. Of the group's 82 vessels, 63 currently sail under the Luxembourg flag. Worldwide, Jan De Nul Group employs 6,267 people in 47 countries. 600 people are employed by the group in Luxembourg, including 500 sailors and 100 employees at the head office in Capellen.

Minister Franz Fayot and Commissioner Robert Biwer visited the 111.7-metre-long "Sanderus" vessel, which is currently carrying out maintenance dredging work in the port of Antwerp. This is one of Jan De Nul Group's latest generation dredgers with ultra-low emissions, also known as an “ultra-low emission vessel” (ULEv) - the fourth of its kind in the group's fleet. The ULEv filter system treats exhaust gases and prevents the emission of nanoparticles, thus improving air quality, reducing pollution and ensuring a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Accompanied by the ship's captain, Luxembourg's Economy Minister was able to observe the ship in operation and speak with crew members.

The minister reflected on the importance of the maritime sector for the Luxembourg economy. From the end of the 1980s, in order to support the diversification of economic activities, the Luxembourg government decided to create a maritime register. In the space of 31 years, Luxembourg has managed to forge a solid reputation in the sector, whether in terms of the quality of registered vessels or favorable social conditions for seafarers, and it has the largest maritime register of all landlocked countries.

According to the Ministry of the Economy, Luxembourg has positioned itself in a niche market in the maritime sector and is home to both small carriers, dredgers, tugs and supply vessels. The fleet under the Luxembourg flag has grown from 54 vessels in 1993 to 216 vessels in 2020.

During the visit, Minister Franz Fayot noted: “With their new ULEv vessels, Jan De Nul is acting as a real pioneer and I congratulate them on it. We are proud that these ships fly the Luxembourg flag, because Jan De Nul is a model for green shipping. Promoting maritime transport that respects the environment and low emissions is also at the heart of the missions of the Commission for Maritime Affairs”.

Commissioner Robert Biwer added: “If the maritime sector remains a niche activity in Luxembourg, I think I can say that the project has proven its worth over the past 30 years. Our goal is not to break records in terms of the number of vessels or tonnage registered, but rather to promote the economic development and the diversification of the Luxembourg economy with real activities in Luxembourg, all through a register of quality with quality ships!”

David Lutty, Director of Jan De Nul Group, concluded: “We have been cooperating with the Luxembourg pavilion for many years. This is undoubtedly a very fruitful and satisfying collaboration, because the Luxembourg government, like the registry, has a very pragmatic attitude. This is what we highly appreciate, as we operate complex vessels in our fleet".