DEME’s new dredge features Schottel propulsion solutions

Photo: Schottel

Schottel reports that the trailing suction hopper dredge Bonny River, built at Royal IHC’s Chinese partner yard COSCO Guangdong Shipyard, features its propulsion solutions. Recently handed over to the Belgian dredging company DEME, the dredge is driven by Schottel controllable pitch propellers and transverse thrustersWith a 15,000-cubic-meter capacity, the vessel is capable of dredging hard soil and able to work in water depths of more than 328 feet (or 100 meters).

“The design of the Bonny River is inspired by a drive tocontinuously innovate from an ecological and efficiency perspective,” said JanGabriel, head of the Technical Construction and Conversion Department at the DEME Group. “As such, DEME continues to be at the forefront of the industry andsignificantly reduces the environmental impact of its operations. Schottel’s propulsion solutions fit in this strategy.”

    
The Bonny River is driven by two Schottel controllable pitch propellers type SCP 129 4-XG, with an input power of 8,000 kW each and a propeller diameter of 14.8 feet (or 4.5 meters). It reaches a speed of approximately 16 knots. Beyond this, maximum maneuverability and propulsion efficiency are provided by tunnel thrusters—two STT 3 FP (750 kW each) and one STT 5 FP (1,500 kW)—which can be demounted from above.

Together with Schottel’s control partner Noris and IHC Systems, a complete power management system was developed. This controls the mechanically driven dredging pump, PTOs and the propellers without overloading the dual-fuel engines.