Royal IHC, DEME: LNG CSD Spartacus Hits the Water

DEME’s giant cutter suction dredger Spartacus has been successfully launched at the Royal IHC shipyard in Krimpen aan den Ijssel in the Netherlands.

With a total installed capacity of 44,180 kW, Spartacus is simply the most powerful and environmental friendly cutter suction dredger (CSD) that has ever been built.

Spartacus is the world’s largest CSD and the first to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). The four main engines can run on LNG, marine diesel oil (MDO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO). The two auxiliary engines also incorporate dual-fuel technology.

IHC and DEME acquired extensive knowledge during the build of LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredgers Minerva and Scheldt River. This know-how was invaluable throughout the construction of Spartacus.

As the principle LNG-powered CSD in the world, Spartacus sets a new benchmark in the industry. It also features several additional innovations, such as a waste heat recovery system, a one-man operated dredge control and a heavy-duty cutter ladder that can reach a dredging depth of 45 m.

“DEME’s drive to innovate and focus on sustainability is reflected in the company’s multi-year fleet investment program,” said Alain Bernard, Director and CEO of DEME. “The new additions to the fleet are part of our continuous efforts to further increase efficiency, both in terms of production and environmental performance. ‘Spartacus’ stands out because of her unrivaled power and high-tech features on board. The CSD will drive new levels of performance and will provide our customers with flexible solutions for dredging projects in even the most harsh and remote environments.”

IHC’s CEO, Dave Vander Heyde, added: “IHC is known for its willingness to push boundaries to develop and produce high added-value equipment and vessels for our customers. The combination of power, size and innovation makes ‘Spartacus’ a perfect example of such a project. DEME was once the first dredging company to put a ‘jumbo’ dredger in the market which has led to a new generation of dredging vessels. As ‘Spartacus’ will soon be the world’s largest and most powerful LNG-powered CSD in operation, DEME will again have set a new standard in the market.”

Fleet investment program

A number of pioneering vessels recently entered the DEME fleet, including the dual-fuel dredgers Minerva and Scheldt River in 2017, the cable installation vessel Living Stone and DP2 jack-up platform Apollo in 2018.

Other innovative vessels under construction include the 15,000 m³ trailing suction hopper dredger Bonny River and the next generation offshore installation vessel Orion. Also, in October 2018 DEME announced the order of two new trailing suction hopper dredgers and two split barges, reinforcing the fleet in 2020.