Major repair works complete on the world’s largest cutter suction dredger

The major repair works on the world’s largest cutter suction dredger (CSD), DEME’s Spartacus, were successfully completed at Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions today.

“Looking back with pride on this challenging and complex project, which spanned four months of intensive effort and problem-solving,” said Yannick Driesen, Project Manager at DEME Group.

“This major repair tested our expertise and resilience at every stage. From diagnosing issues to implementing effective solutions, the project demanded precision, innovation, and a proactive problem-solving approach.”

“What made this achievement possible was the outstanding collaboration between the project team, vessel crew, and shipyard staff.”

Established in 2008, Qatar Shipyard Technology Solutions is a premier offshore and marine facility based in the State of Qatar. The world-class Erhama Bin Jaber Al Jalahma shipyard, which is strategically located near to the LNG terminals in Ras Laffan Industrial City, was inaugurated by H.H. Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Father Emir of the State of Qatar, on November 23, 2010.

The CSD Spartacus is the world’s most powerful cutter suction dredger. The vessel represents the pinnacle of more than 140 years of dredging expertise.

An example: the more its ladder weighs, the more pressure a cutter suction dredger can apply. With a cutter ladder weighing a staggering 2.550 tons, Spartacus can dredge in depths of up to 45 meters and delivers superior uptime thanks to its resistance to vibrations.

To make sure Spartacus can power the new cutterheads and heavyweight ladder, it can deliver an unprecedented power of 12,000 kW on the cutterhead. This is double the power of the current generation of mega cutter suction dredgers.

The gearbox converting this power is the largest ever built.

Also, immense dredging power brings a huge amount of dredged materials. Unloading materials through a booster station severely limits any cutter suction dredger’s autonomy. Not so with this giant as the CSD has increased vessel’s pumping power of 25.5 MW.

The Spartacus can operate autonomously and discharge dredged materials over more than 10 km.