Choppy waters

The helm firmly in hand

The corona crisis is barely behind us, when the war in Ukraine erupts in all its intensity in February 2022, taking the world (and perhaps more specifically Europe) by storm. The disruption brought by the war, according to KW Trans, is now also showing an economic battleground; energy and food prices are soaring due to uncertainty, logistical barriers and political choices. Companies and consumers in the Netherlands are facing skyrocketing inflation. All this while the labor market has already been tight in recent years and prices for construction and raw materials have been on the rise for years. With all these perils, one would almost forget, that the Netherlands has been more or less on lockstep since 2019 because of the nitrogen crisis.

In these turbulent economic waters, KW Trans has taken the helm firmly in its hands to guide the company - through the storm, as it were - to a safe harbor. "Watching the wind blow and shifting course," sailor terms that come in very handy for running the company KW Trans.

"The Netherlands is as much inland shipping country as it is agricultural country, so our sector is also under the magnifying glass, in terms of environmental impact," said Jacco Wakker, director of KW Trans. "Since the eruption of the nitrogen crisis in agriculture, we started thinking about the new requirements for shipping more than four years ago and what that meant for necessary investments and replacements within the fleet. With this we want to respond to a changing world and green opinion."

Whereas legislation requires KW Trans to comply with CCRII as a minimum, the company has switched directly to Stage V for major maintenance and replacement investments within the fleet. "This allows the Dancing Water and the Waterlady to sail with the minimum emissions of NOx and soot," said KW Trans. Water Lady is one of the few push and tow boats in the Netherlands with Stage V engines. This makes the vessel deployable on projects with strict CO2 and nitrogen requirements. The Dancing Water is also equipped with Stage V engines." With these boats, KW Trans is assisting in leading projects such as the reconstruction of the Afsluitdijk, the dike reinforcement on the Markermeer dikes and the construction of the wind farm on the IJsselmeer.

Renewal is on steam

As far as KW Trans is concerned, the green thinking doesn't stop there. Jacco: "Meanwhile, in 2022, we started the new construction of a unique hybrid work vessel. From the end of 2022, the new Destiny will be able to serve our clients on location with push, tow and work services, at 0% emissions of CO2, NOx and soot. "The new vessel will provide enormous environmental benefits for our clients," said Dr. K. K., president of Destiny.

The Destiny II is the sister of the current Destiny, with the advantage that basically all-day electric sailing is possible. It is a so-called multicat, a vessel that can be used in multiple ways. It can push and tow, has a very strong working crane and has a large working deck for transporting goods and providing assistance in dredging operations. The Destiny can be used anywhere and can also operate in shallow waters.

According to Jacco, it is important not to sit still, but rather to respond to a changing world. "Thinking green is not just a matter of investing, it should be an operational attitude within the business, which our customers also encounter on the shop floor. Through regular maintenance and a green work attitude of our staff, we are able to keep the helm firmly in our hands."