Bakker Sliedrecht to Deliver Electrical Power Plant for Spartacus

Bakker Sliedrecht has been awarded a contract for the engineering, delivery and commissioning of the electrical power plant and auxiliary electrical installations for the world’s most powerful cutter suction dredger (CSD) Spartacus. 

This giant dredging vessel, to be fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), is being built by Royal IHC on behalf of Belgium based Dredging International (DEME).

With a total installed power of 44.180 kW, the Spartacus will be the most powerful cutter suction dredger that has ever been built. The vessel’s power will enable her to cut harder soils at speeds that have not been possible before, Bakker said.

“Bakker Sliedrecht is responsible for delivering the power electrical plant that will generate and distribute power throughout the CSD. We are also responsible for the integration of the entire electrical installation,” the company said in its release.

Highlights of Bakker’s scope of work are:

• Integration entire electrical installation;
• Generators;
• HV main switchboards;
• 690 V switchboards;
• 440 V switchboards;
• HV electrical drive systems;
• ABB ACS 880 low voltage multidrive systems;
• Transformers;
• Propulsion motors;
• Bow thrusters;
• Jet pump motor;
• Inboard dredge pumps;
• Cutter motors;
• Submersible motor;
• Winch motors;
• Low voltage multidrive systems.

The Spartacus will be equipped with the brand-new ABB ACS 880 liquid-cooled low voltage multidrive system.

“The new model of ABB has a very high power density, yielding a lot of power out of a small footprint. The ABB ACS 880 is maintenance friendly and already compliant with future regulations,” according to Bakker.

The Spartacus will be delivered to DEME in 2019.