Damen Delivers CSD500-S to ERA

Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Group announced that Damen Dredging Equipment has delivered CSD500-S, a fully customised cutter dredger for acidic environment,  to Australian customer, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA).

"The Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD), which has been named the Brolga I, will work in an acidic environment with a pH of approximately 3 for which a wide array of adaptations have been incorporated," it said in a press release.

The dredger has been shipped to Antwerp, where it was loaded on board a transport vessel bound for the north of Australia. It will arrive at the Ranger Mine in Jabiru in the Northern Territory at the end of May.

The CSD500-S is based on the Damen standard vessel type, yet fully customised to meet the customer’s Health, Safety and Environmental requirements and unique operational conditions. Furthermore, Damen Dredging Equipment has extensive experience with the necessary Australian Maritime and Safety Authority (AMSA) requirements and has ensured that the vessel will arrive fully functional and ready for operations under the Australian flag.

The modular dredger will be supported by another Damen standard product - a Multi Cat 1205 workboat, named the Ginga, which has also been fully customised to meet AMSA requirements and to operate in the same conditions. This Multi Cat will be delivered including an A-frame, heavy hydraulic deck crane and a special support frame for the cutter head of the CSD 500.

The Damen Multi Cat is a versatile workboat designed to support dredging and marine contracting works and in combination with the Damen CSD-S it makes the ideal package for tackling this dredging job efficiently.

The environment in which the CSD500-S and the MultiCat 1205 will operate requires a specialised focus on corrosion protection. All steel parts including the hulls of both vessels and suction ladder of the CSD-S have been provided with a special coating, the discharge pipe line is made in HDPE instead of steel, the dredge valve in the discharge piping has been made in stainless steel and the box coolers are fabricated in 100% titanium.

As always, safety of the crew is of the utmost importance. Due to the mining job in the low pH lake and the requirements of the customer, safety precaution measures have been implemented to the highest level. This has for instance resulted in an operating cabin with overpressure, and secured walkways with additional safety and tripping lines. The CSD500-S is fully compliant with the rules and regulations of AMSA, Class society and ERA’s own mine site requirements.

“We are very proud to be part of this complex project” says Damen sales manager Mr Sjoerd de Bruin. “We are confident that the CSD will carry out her dredging job perfectly.” The modular dredger will be assembled on location by Damen Field Service Engineers next month.