GoKawiilHistoric Dutch dredging methods offer clues for cutting fossil fuel use
An analysis of the Netherlands' waterway maintenance history shows that dredging was long done by hand, animal, wind and tidal power before the switch to oil-burning ships that now consume up to 3,000 litres of fuel per hour. Today the country removes 30 to 35 million cubic metres of silt annually to keep its harbours, canals and rivers navigable, a task growing more demanding as ships get bigger and cargo shifts from road to water.