Record Breakers!
The dredging industry’s characterised by continuous technical developments in order to improve efficiency and extend vessels’ operational limits, writes Gijsbert de Jong of Bureau Veritas, and 2009 saw barriers broken across the board
Technical competence, extensive experience and a good understanding of the challenges faced by the dredging industry are vital if classification and certification societies are to aid builders and contractors in reaching their aims.
Bureau Veritas has been deeply involved certifying dredgers for many years – the BV-classed fleet today comprises over 450 vessels, ranging from dismountable stationary cutters to the world’s largest trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs). And the orderbook stands firm at more than 100 dredgers that will be delivered over the next three years.
BV’s aim is to contribute to those efficiency improvements and help extend vessels’ operational limits in terms of water depth and weather conditions by working closely with the key operators, shipyards, designers and national authorities in assessing innovative designs and providing an appropriate regulatory framework on the basis of in-service experience and research work. Examples of such co-operation are BV’s involvement in the drafting of international requirements for the dredging freeboard and the establishment of a practical link between the regulatory operating area and the associated significant wave height.
Bigger, Deeper, More Flexible
In terms of ship deliveries, 2009 was another record-breaking year for the dredging industry. One of the highlights was the June delivery to Jan De Nul of the TSHD Cristóbal Colón from La Naval shipyard in Spain. With a length of 223m and a capacity of 46,000m3, she’s by far the largest hopper dredger in the world. Her record dredging depth of 155m extends the limits of operability and her total installed power of over 40,000kW – the hopper can be filled in about three hours – results in a highly efficient and flexible vessel. Sister ship Leiv Eriksson was launched in September and will be delivered early this year. The pair are only the second and third post-Panamax dredgers, after the 2000-built Vasco da Gama.
The previous record was set by Dutch contractor Van Oord in 2008 after the IHC-built HAM 318 was lengthened by 52m and total hopper capacity enlarged to 37,500m3. Third on the list of mega hoppers is the Boskalis-owned Queen of the Netherlands – built in 1998 by Verolme Heusden – which was lengthened by 57m at the Keppel yard in Singapore, thereby ...