DEME’s new dredger “Bonny River” features SCHOTTEL propulsion solutions
The trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) “Bonny River”, built at Royal IHC’s Chinese partner yard COSCO Guangdong Shipyard, is propelled by SCHOTTEL. Recently handed over to the Belgian dredging company DEME, the TSHD is driven by controllable pitch propellers and transverse thrusters from the German propulsion expert. With a 15,000 cbm capacity, the vessel is capable of dredging hard soil and able to work in water depths of more than 100 m.
Jan Gabriel, Head of the Technical Construction and Conversion Department at the DEME Group, comments: “The design of the ‘Bonny River’ is inspired by a drive to continuously innovate from an ecological and efficiency perspective. As such, DEME continues to be at the forefront of the industry and significantly reduces the environmental impact of its operations. SCHOTTEL’s propulsion solutions fit in this strategy.”
SCHOTTEL SCPs and STTs for maximum manoeuvrability
“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 4.5 m. It reaches a speed of approximately 16 knots. Beyond this, maximum manoeuvrability 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.
About “Bonny River”
The new dredger combines various functions and has a large transport capacity – all at limited depth. The vessel is highly suitable for coastal protection assignments, even in regions with shallow beaches. “Bonny River”, part of DEME’s multi-year fleet investment programme, is currently being mobilized in Flushing (Vlissingen), Netherlands, for its first assignments.
About SCHOTTEL
The SCHOTTEL Group, with its headquarters in Spay/Rhine, is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steerable propulsion systems for ships and offshore applications. Founded in 1921, the company has been developing and manufacturing azimuth propulsion and complete propulsion systems with power ratings of up to 30 MW for vessels of all sizes and types, for almost 70 years. Around 100 sales and service locations worldwide ensure customer proximity.
