Ural River Cutter Suction Dredger

Damen’s CSD 650 type dredger will perform maintenance and land reclamation work in shallow water areas. Image courtesy of Damen Shipyards Group.

The cutter suction dredger was christened Ural River. Image courtesy of Damen Shipyards Group.

The christening ceremony of Ural River was held at Damen’s shipyard. Image courtesy of Damen Shipyards Group.

Van Oord placed an order for Damen’s CSD 650 vessel in January 2015. Image courtesy of Damen Shipyards Group.

Dredging and marine contractor, Van Oord placed an order with Damen shipyards for a new cutter suction dredger (CSD) in January 2015.

Damen’s CSD 650 type dredger, christened Ural River, will be a custom-built vessel with additional safety and environmental features for Van Oord.

The Ural River vessel will depart from the shipyard and travel by land to the Caspian Sea, from where it is scheduled to start operations in April 2015.

The vessel will be designed and delivered by Damen Dredging Equipment in Nijkerk, the Netherlands. It will be outfitted to operate in coastal zones consisting of hard surface materials, including compact sand clay. It will also be equipped to perform maintenance and land reclamation work in shallow waters.

A Fast Crew Supplier 1605, supplied by Damen Shipyards, will complement the dredger. The support vessel has a maximum speed of 30kt and can accommodate up to 23 passengers.

Design details of Damen CSD 650

Ural River has an overall length of 59.7m and hull length of 49.3m. Its overall length, including that of ladders, is 61.2m, and length over pontoons is 48.65m. It also has a breadth of 9.47m and draught of 1.25m, and weighs 535t.

The vessel has a total installed power of 2,972kW, which enables it to function independently and perform dredging works at the same time. Its cutter head has the capacity to generate 700kW of power, and facilitates dredging operations at a depth of 18m at 50°.

The cutting suction dredger will also feature a bow to perform dredging operations in coastal waters. It is also being fitted with additional tank capacities to allow for operations over an extended period of time in remote locations without support. Onboard tank capacities include approximately 68m3 of fuel oil (FO) and 4.1m3 of hydraulic oil.

High-quality fixtures are fitted to the vessel, which can be dismantled and transported separately by other means of transport such as road, rail or sea. The boat also has a well-built exterior.

It features a large operating cabin and provides a view of all winches. The ergonomically designed control desks are equipped with air-conditioning and heating system. The vessel is classified under Bureau Veritas Coastal Classification.

Onboard dredging equipment

Dredging equipment onboard the CSD 650 encompasses a BP6560MD dredging pump, suction pipe, and discharge pipe. The suction pipe and discharge pipe both measure 650mm in diameter. The vessel has the capacity to hold a maximum of 700m3 of mixture per hour.

The dredger is further outfitted with a hydraulic drive ladder winch with a variable force of 270kN at 0-15 m/min. Both of the hydraulically driven side wire winches also have a capacity of 270kN.

The spud system is significant for the layout of the pontoon, and also affects the efficiency of the cutter suction dredger. Ural River is outfitted with two spuds of 12,300kg each and a diameter of 910mm, and two spud hoisting rams with a spud stroke of 2m.

Dredging instruments aboard the CSD include dredging depth indicator, vacuum, and pressure indication of dredge pump, which is housed in a separate pump room.

Powerful winches onboard the vessel provide a challenging swing width of more than 62m. A jib crane can also be installed aboard for easy maintenance.

Optional deck equipment onboard the Ural River dredger

The vessel is optionally fitted with a deck crane to lift heavy parts such as pump houses, cutter heads, and impellers. Other optional equipment include a spud carriage installation, submerged dredge pump installation up to -22m cutter depth, a swivel hose, and production measurement (flow and density).

The vessel also offers day accommodation facilities such as a kitchen, toilet and shower. Onboard navigation and communication equipment include a navigation package, communication package of very high frequency (VHF), and a differential global positioning system (DGPS).

Propulsion and power

Damen’s new-build dredger, Ural River, comprises of a Caterpillar 3516C HD diesel dredge pump with a power rating of 1,825kW at 1,600rpm, and an auxiliary diesel Caterpillar 3512C engine with a power output of 1,119kW at 1,600rpm.

The engine room, which is completely isolated from the mixture piping, features a diesel engine along with hydraulic and electrical installations.