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Dredging Environmental & Marine Engineering's (DEME) biggest LNG-fuelled trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), the Scheldt River, was officially named in Zwijndrecht, Belgium, on September 29.

The 8,400-cubic-metre-capacity, 9780-deadweight-tonne (dwt) vessel is the company's - and world's - second TSHD to be equipped with dual-fuel engines. The first LNG-powered dredger, DEME's 3,500-cbm Minerva, was officially named in June.

The Scheldt River was built at Royal IHC's shipyard in the Netherlands. The vessel is part of DEME's multi-year fleet investment programme focused on further increasing efficiency, both in terms of productivity and environmental performance. The TSHD is said to boost dredging performance in shallow waters and meet and exceed all current emission regulations.

As part of its efforts to save fuel, DEME has developed a two-speed propulsion drive for both the Scheldt River and the Minerva. In contrast to conventional single-speed propulsion, IHC says its patented two-speed gearbox provides fuel savings when sailing at lower speeds and that the Scheldt River and Minerva are the first TSHDs to benefit from this innovation.

DEME claims its set-up, comprising two-speed propulsion gear boxes and combinatory mode propeller thrust control, produces at least 10 percent bunker savings during dredging operations.

The vessel also has a dynamic position and dynamic tracking (DP/ DT) system, further enhancing manoeuvrability and position keeping. The dredge pump - which is said to achieve "excellent performance" both in trailing and shore discharge mode - is driven by a hybrid drive diesel direct plus electric motor.

Another addition is the newly developed wing-shaped bow thruster tunnel. IHC says the new shape improves bow thruster performance and is the result of extensive hydrodynamic analysis.

Open day

On October 1, DEME presented the Scheldt River to the general public during 'Open Bedrijvendag' - a nationwide event where companies open their doors to visitors.

During the open day, job seekers were provided with information on job opportunities at DEME. The company says more than 200 new employees will be recruited to meet the demand driven by growth in several activities, including the offshore wind and infra-marine sectors.

Minerva and other additions

The TSHD Minerva entered the DEME fleet earlier this year. The vessel is currently executing trenching works for the Rentel offshore wind farm near the Belgian coast.

In the near future, both the Scheldt River and Minerva will be deployed for the seabed preparation of Elia's Modular Offshore Grid (or so-called electricity plug) in the North Sea.

Over the next two years, DEME's dredging fleet will be further reinforced with the TSHD Bonny River (in 2018) and the cutter suction dredger Spartacus (in 2019).