On September 9 her Royal Highness Princess Alexia of the Netherlands has performed the christening ceremony for Van Oord's new hopper dredger, the Vox Alexia (flying the Dutch flag). The christening ceremony took place at the Wilhelminakade quay in Rotterdam's city centre, where the vessel was docked for two days.
Guests and attendees, including Princess Alexia, gathered at the event to celebrate this significant occasion. Following the ceremony, Princess Alexia embarked on a tour of the vessel and had the opportunity to meet several employees.
In the words of CEO Pieter van Oord: "The Vox Alexia represents our third LNG-powered vessel, exemplifying Van Oord's unwavering dedication to sustainability. It is indeed an esteemed privilege that Her Royal Highness Princess Alexia has bestowed her name upon this vessel."
Vox Alexia
The Vox Alexia is classified as a hopper dredger, a type of vessel designed to gather sand, clay, sludge, and soil from sea or river beds. Van Oord deploys hopper dredgers globally for a diverse range of projects, such as coastal protection, port development, waterway deepening, and land reclamation. Similar to its recently christened sister vessels, the Vox Ariane and the Vox Apolonia, the Vox Alexia is equipped with a liquefied natural gas (LNG) system, underscoring Van Oord's commitment to sustainability. The vessel's LNG fuel system and energy-efficient design are expected to yield substantial reductions in fuel consumption and carbon emissions.
Double Christening
This memorable day in Rotterdam will witness not one, but two special christening ceremonies. Alongside the Vox Alexia, Van Oord's newly commissioned cable-laying vessel, the Calypso, will also be christened in the afternoon. The Calypso is slated for deployment primarily in offshore wind farm construction projects and is poised to make a valuable contribution to Van Oord's ongoing journey towards energy transition.
Source: Van Oord