System integrator Alewijnse recently won a contract for the complete electrical and automation installation on board the sister vessel of trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Anchorage, which was successfully launched last week at Barkmeijer Shipyards.
This innovative hopper dredger (yard No. BN348), which is currently under construction at Barkmeijer – part of Thecla Bodewes Shipyards, will be delivered to her owners De Hoop Terneuzen next April.
Under the contract, the complete electrical and automation outfitting is the responsibility of Alewijnse. This includes the design, building, installation and commissioning of the switchboards, consoles and the dedicated alarm, monitoring and control systems. It also includes the design, engineering, supply and commissioning of the dredging automation system, including visualisation, monitoring and process control.
For the control and monitoring of the dredging process, Barkmeijer Shipyards has collaborated with Alewijnse to develop an intelligent and integrated bus-driven system. In addition to delivering high dredging performance, its capabilities mean that a crew of just 7 or 8 is all that is required to manage, load and unload the vessel.
This ground-breaking system is now being made available to other clients via Alewijnse. Elsewhere on board, the diesel-electric power plants, provided by D&A Electric, significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions.
In addition, several advanced automation systems are being integrated on board, including an alarm and monitoring system (AMS) for fire door signaling and remote tank sounding and a bridge operating system (BOS) for the control and monitoring of the lighting systems.
Also being fitted are a dredge control system (DCS) for the control and signaling of the remote controlled dredging valves, position indication and control of the swell compensator, overflow, pumps, screen/hopper loading system and hydraulic installation, and a ship system control (SSC) for control and signaling of the trim valves, ventilation and supervision of the emergency generator.
The company is also installing an Alewijnse draught and loading system (ADLS) for the continuous measuring of the equipment’s draught and the calculation of the actual load, trim and list. The Alewijnse suction tube system (ASTS) combines software and hardware for the measuring, calculating, visualisation and monitoring of the hopper dredger’s suction tube position under water.
Barkmeijer Shipyards and Alewijnse have been working together successfully for more than 40 years. Earlier projects include the joint delivery of the German Waddenferry Adler Rüm Hart, hopper dredgers UKD Orca (2010) and Charlock (2016) and three pilot station vessels built for the Dutch Pilots’ Organisation; the Polaris, Pollux and Procyon (2012 – 2014).