IHC OTTer 250 dredger fully operational in South Africa

The Otter 250 dredger, developed by Royal IHC, has been fully assembled on-site and is now operational in South Africa.

This compact, highly efficient cutter suction dredger will support the City of Cape Town’s efforts to improve water quality and environmental health across one of its most important wetland systems.

Zeekoevlei is located in the False Bay Nature Reserve, a Ramsar site of international importance for wetlands. Over the past decades, there has been a significant build-up of sediment and nutrient rich organics in the Zeekoevlei lakebed that has resulted in algal blooms, which has been impacting the overall health of the vlei and its water quality for recreational users.

Dredging works, led by Guerrini Marine Construction in close collaboration with the City of Cape Town, include removal of approx. 364,000m³ of organic sludge and fines from the bottom of the 250-hectare freshwater lake.

The OTTer system, equipped with an auger head, ensures minimal disturbance to the reserve’s delicate ecology while delivering the production capacity needed for this ambitious restoration.

To support longer pumping distances, IHC installed and commissioned an OTTer 250E booster, enabling material transport over 2.7km to the discharge site.