Damen unveiled innovative deep cutter suction dredger
The fully dismountable DCSD500 has been designed in a catamaran format with the buoyancy provided by pontoons forming the outer limits of the vessel to port and starboard, the company said in its release. The suction ladder, which is centrally mounted between them, is fitted with a submerged dredge pump which is directly driven by a diesel engine. This is also mounted on the ladder. The dredger can be controlled by a single individual from the control cabin which is raised for an optimal project overview.
Dredging can be done down to the impressive dredging depth of around 25 metres. The 110kW cutter unit is designed for breaking up compacted soil and the submerged dredge pump, capable of moving approximately 4,000 m 3 /h of mixture, is highly efficient, operating at high concentrations due to its position below the waterline. A 954 kW CAT type 3512 C TA diesel engine is mounted on the suction ladder to drive the dredge pump directly.
The key consideration behind the design has been to meet demand for a cost-efficient dredger that is able to dredge deeper than the current options available in the Damen portfolio. This catamaran design competes with much larger traditional pontoon-based alternatives. Moreover, the location of the diesel engine on the ladder is a straightforward and cost-effective choice as is the use of a standard spud anchoring system.
The new Damen dredger does share one element with its conventional counterparts. It is fully dismountable into container-sized elements. This ensures practical transport at low cost to almost any location, coastal or inland, by road, rail, sea or air. The new DCSD500 is the cost-effective alternative for contractors having to dredge deeper.
Damen Shipyards Group operates 36 shipbuilding and repair yards, employing 12,000 people worldwide. Damen has delivered more than 6,500 vessels in more than 100 countries and delivers around 175 vessels annually to customers worldwide. Based on its unique, standardised ship-design concept Damen is able to guarantee consistent quality. Damen’s focus on standardisation, modular construction and keeping vessels in stock leads to short delivery times, low ‘total cost of ownership’, high resale values and reliable performance. Furthermore, Damen vessels are based on thorough R&D and proven technology. Damen offers a wide range of products, including tugs, workboats, naval and patrol vessels, high speed craft, cargo vessels, dredgers, vessels for the offshore industry, ferries, pontoons and superyachts. For nearly all vessel types Damen offers a broad range of services, including maintenance, spare parts delivery, training and the transfer of (shipbuilding) know-how. Damen also offers a variety of marine components, such as nozzles, rudders, winches, anchors, anchor chains and steel works. Damen Shiprepair & Conversion (DSC) has a worldwide network of eighteen repair and conversion yards of which twelve are located in North West Europe. Facilities at the yards include more than 50 floating (and covered) drydocks, including the longest, 420 x 80 metres, and the widest, 405 x 90 metres, as well as slopes, ship lifts and indoor halls. Projects range from the smallest simple repairs through Class’ maintenance to complex refits and the complete conversion of large offshore structures. DSC completes around 1,300 repair and maintenance jobs annually, both at yards as well as in ports and during voyage.
