Sustainability

The need to manage the world’s natural resources sustainably has become increasingly apparent, especially now that the impact of human actions on our planet is becoming all too evident. So sustainability is a major priority for IHC Merwede.

True sustainability is not obtained by short-sighted savings in one specific area, but only by total life cycle design of products and processes, including the afterlife, and possible second life, of products.

Technological innovation is commonly embraced as the main tool for reaching the goal.
IHC Merwede has for years been a pioneer in the development of new technology. We take our responsibility for developing technology that is sustainable very seriously. In association with our business partners, we dedicate our expertise to researching and developing new sustainable technologies.

Our sustainability programme is devoted to discovering sustainable technologies for our customers. And because we cannot achieve sustainability alone, MTI, our internal research institute, collaborates with suppliers, research centres, NGOs and independent specialists. Together we have launched a programme to integrate the element of sustainability in all of our products and production processes and in everything that our employees do. For example, we are conducting studies into ways of making dredging technologies and processes more sustainable in the future and investigating offshore production processes that are actually good for the flora and fauna. We have outlined a path to creating a ‘green dredger’ and are running special programmes for fuel efficiency, alternative energy sources and emission reductions. Design studies and practical experiments to improve the turbidity behaviour of the overflow are on their way. (link naar de concrete programma’s op pagina R&D).

We feel it is also important to extend our activities in relation to sustainability to a wider spectrum of society. For example, we are participating in Ecoshape – Building with Nature, a programme established by two large Dutch dredging contractors, Boskalis and van Oord. The programme started in 2008 and will run for five years. IHC Merwede’s input consists of support in terms of funding and research. Other participants include large Dutch companies like Shell and the government and academic organisations. The members of the consortium make up a think tank whose objective is to define and improve civil applications for the benefit of the environment.

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