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World Dredgers BV introduced its pioneering autonomous suction dredger in Ophhoven, Germany, earlier this week.
This project is nearing completion and is expected to be finalized by the end of May 2024.
Reading the maritime and dredging news, our readers may have noticed that autonomy is starting to play an increasing role in the industry.
Looking into several ongoing initiatives, one conclusion can be drawn quickly: autonomy in the maritime industry comes in various shapes and forms, where both the level and application vary.
At the moment, substantial focus is directed towards vessels that are used to perform a dangerous, dull or dirty task because it is expected that these applications will provide the best business case on the short term.
Dredge path planning software is also being developed, allowing the dredging vessel to optimize for dredging production and fuel consumption.
In preparation for a dredge project, the system calculates optimal dredge and disposal paths within the allocated area, taking into account weather conditions such as current, waves and wind.