DEME and Vuyk Engineering combine operational expertise and naval architecture to develop a next-generation trailing suction hopper dredger for global marine infrastructure projects
DEME has selected Dutch naval architecture specialist Vuyk Engineering to support the design of its newly announced 22,000m³ shallow-draught trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), reinforcing a long-standing partnership between the two companies.
Developed in close collaboration, the vessel has been designed to establish a new benchmark for dredging efficiency, combining higher productivity with a lower cost per cubic metre of material dredged while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared with existing vessels in the same class.
Vuyk Engineering developed the design of the vessel in close cooperation with DEME. A major design driver has been fuel efficiency and future flexibility. As such, the design combines a.o. a hydrodynamically optimised hull design with an advanced power generation and propulsion system, accommodating also future fuel transitions toward (green) methanol.
“Being selected by DEME to cooperate on the design of this vessel is a valued testimony to our capabilities and decade long partnership,” says Floris Toetenel, Director at Vuyk Engineering. “DEME challenged us to balance productivity, efficiency and future fuel flexibility in a single design. The cooperation with DEME throughout the design process made it possible to realize those ambitions.”
“This vessel represents an important addition to our dredging fleet,” says Jan Gabriel, Head of Fleet Investments at DEME. “Throughout the design process, we worked closely with Vuyk to translate operational requirements into a practical and efficient vessel design. The combined experience in dredger design and the open collaboration between our teams contributed significantly to the development of a vessel that aligns with our strategy.”
The new TSHD adds to a long-standing collaboration between DEME and Vuyk Engineering. Previous projects included trailing suction hopper dredgers, cutter suction dredgers, offshore wind installation equipment and offshore support vessels, with both companies working together on designs for a range of maritime applications. This latest project continues that cooperation with a vessel designed for the next generation of dredging operations. The vessel is scheduled for delivery in 2029.
