Dredge Yard recently tested and delivered a customized electric cutter suction dredger ECO 200 for potassium chloride brine mining.
According to the company, the delivery follows successful water testing at Dredge Yard facility in The Netherlands.
As common in mining industry, the dredger is electrically powered from the grid and onboard installations on dredger will convert the electrical power to drive the dredge systems hydraulically.
The ECO200, equipped with heavy duty cutter head and replaceable cutter teeth, has a total installed power of 214 KW. Thanks to this, the dredge cutter head is more efficient at all depths. The dredger has a discharge pipe of 200mm (8 inch) and two hydraulic driven thrusters.
Special attention and a lot of effort are spent on this special cutter suction dredger to make sure it is suitable for the harsh environment of potassium dredging, stated the company.
The potassium mine, with its high content of salt, provides a serious challenge for the materials used. A high grade of stainless steel was used with overall protection of seals and removable attachments like removable thrusters.
To ensure the quality of the equipment, all components used in the dredger are approved by CSA (Canadian Standards Association). Moreover, most of the components have undergone sophisticated laboratory testing to ensure its compliance with CSA.