Royal IHC (IHC) made several announcements at the Dredging in India conference on 3 and 4 September, including its construction of the Easydredge™ 2700 for stock.
Building a trailing suction hopper dredger for stock is a unique step forward in the dredging industry and the news created a stir at the event in Mumbai.
IHC believes it will bring an end to the vicious circle faced by new entrants into the market – the need to have equipment in order to secure a contract, and the need for a contract to secure financing to procure that equipment. Having a new vessel readily available will therefore be of huge benefit to the customer.
Also highlighted at the conference was the innovative eco pump control . This ensures optimal production levels of the dredge pump, avoids cavitation and maintains a constant dredge process. The combination of the eco pump control with the eco propulsion controller, which maintains a steady ship speed and improves crew safety as the helmsman can concentrate on the marine traffic, results in a high degree of synergy.
The regular mixture flow by constant speed enables the eco pump controller to deliver an optimal pump performance with reduced fuel consumption.
With both the eco pump and eco propulsion controllers installed, loading times are shortened by 14.5% and fuel consumption is reduced by 18%.