Dutch shipbuilder and maritime equipment supplier, Royal IHC was contracted to build a 44,180 kW LNG-powered cutter suction dredger for Belgian DEME.
The CSD, named Spartacus will be 164 meters long, and according to IHC will be the world’s largest and the world’s first LNG-powered cutter suction dredger.
The contract follows the previous orders for LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredgers, Minerva and Scheldt River , and LNG-ready Bonny River, currently under construction at IHC’s shipyards.
There are currently no LNG-powered dredgers in operation around the globe.
The four main diesel engines for the Spartacus are also capable of running on LNG, marine diesel oil (MDO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO), while the two auxiliary engines have the dual-fuel technology.
The concept and basic design for this mega cutter were done in close cooperation with DEME, Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam, an IHC unit and IHC.
The LNG-powered vessel is expected to be delivered in the summer of 2019.