VESSEL REVIEW: The government of the Occitanie region in southern France recently placed a new trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) into service.
Built by local shipyard Piriou, the 70- by 16.7-metre (230- by 54.8-foot) 'Hydromer' was designed by the French office of Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin in cooperation with Piriou Ingenierie. It has since replaced an older, lower-capacity dredger in the same owner’s fleet as part of an initiative that seeks to make the Occitanie region a “positive energy” region by 2050.
The owner called for improved dredging performance courtesy of a larger suction pump size and greater total dredging arm length. The incorporation of two dredging arms would allow for optimised performance at various water depths. Suitability for coastal protection was another requirement since the owner’s earlier dredger did not possess this capability, thus necessitating the delegation of works to external contractors.
As it will be used primarily in channels and port areas, the TSHD also needed to be capable of high manoeuvring performance and improved seakeeping and positioning regardless of wind and currents. The owner also requested that the vessel be capable of transit speeds of at least 10 knots at design draught and 11 knots empty even under Sea State two conditions.
The installation of the hydrogen system was also among the first of the owner’s requirements to be specified. Onboard space needed to be available for four 20-foot compressed hydrogen storage containers, a hydrogen transfer system, and a fuel cell with a capacity of at least 200 kW.
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Student at Bucks County Technical High School
3moThis looks so cool! Hope you guys were safe