UK Dredging (UKD), a subsidiary of Associated British Ports, formally named a new multipurpose dredging and support vessel, UKD Seadragon, in a ceremony held in Cardiff, Wales.
The 27-metre vessel was designed specifically for UK Dredging and will be used for surveys, buoy handling, bed-levelling, and water injection dredging (WID). It features a diesel-electric propulsion system fed by three independent generators, which allows it to operate on a single engine to improve fuel efficiency.
The UKD Seadragon has been performing maintenance dredging duties in Welsh ports for the past few weeks, including trials in Cardiff, Swansea, and Newport. Mark Pearson, UKD General Manager, commented on the vessel's performance during these initial operations.
“The UK Seadragon has already completed various water injection dredging trials at different locations," he said, adding, "We have seen impressive dredging performances at low fuel consumption. Moreover, the versatility and the manoeuvrability of this advanced vessel clearly enhance our fleet.”
The vessel’s WID equipment includes an electrically driven submersible dredge pump that is lowered to the seabed. The pump injects water into built-up sediment, which is then refloated and carried away by the current.
