DE Klop BV is currently working on a major upgrade of the Rotterdam 26 (CYGNUS 500), a project they are carrying out together with Dekker Groep.
This substantial extension will enable the fully electric cutter suction dredger to operate at increasingly greater dredging depths.
The first phase will increase the maximum dredging depth to 30 meters, followed by a further extension to 50 meters in the next phase. This will place the Rotterdam 26 among a select group of cutter suction dredgers worldwide capable of operating at such depths.
The company said that the modular design of the CYGNUS 500 makes this transformation possible.
Under the project, the submerged dredge pump unit will be positioned further down the ladder, the ladder gantry will be relocated to a new forward pontoon, and the existing spud system will be replaced by a wire-based positioning system with three winches.
According to DE Klop, these smart modifications allow maximum use of the existing components while creating a powerful and flexible dredging installation.