VESSEL REVIEW | Amelia Island – Great Lakes Dredge and Dock's newest hopper dredgers optimised for coastal waters
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock (GLDD) has taken delivery of two new Jones Act-compliant trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD) built by Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, Louisiana.
Designed by Netherlands-based C-Job Naval Architects, Galveston Island and Amelia Island each have a length of 346 feet (105 metres), a beam of 69 feet (21 metres), a draught of 20 feet (6.1 metres), a total installed power of 16,500 hp (12,300 kW), and a hopper capacity of approximately 6,500 cubic yards (4,970 cubic metres).
The vessels will also be capable of dredging at depths of up to 100 feet (30 metres) in coastal, port, and channel waters.
Designed for a broad range of dredging and reclamation project types
The TSHDs boast a high level of automation and shallow draughts, making them well-suited for diverse operations such as coastal protection, channel deepening, and maintenance dredging in addition to its primary role of beach nourishment. The dredgers were designed to be able to operate safely and efficiently in shallow and narrow waters throughout all US coastlines, according to GLDD.
Each dredger's main engines and generators are US EPA Tier IV rated to ensure low emissions, and these can even be configured to run on biofuel to further minimise environmental impact. The hull design meanwhile features hydrodynamic optimisations for enhanced fuel efficiency.
Automated systems and other equipment for more streamlined dredging operations
Each TSHD is equipped with a direct high-power pump-ashore installation, dredging system automation, and dynamic positioning and tracking. A bow discharge system was supplied by Straatman while two side suction installations were provided by Vosta LMG. The latter installations also feature a complete dredging automation, monitoring, control and automation system, gantries and winches.
Other incorporated features will help minimise turbidity and marine species entrainment.
Lasse Petterson, President and Chief Executive Officer of GLDD, stated that the delivery of the company’s dredgers marks the completion of its dredging newbuild programme, leaving it with, "the largest and most advanced hopper fleet in the United States."
Petterson also noted that Amelia Island has a full schedule for 2025 and 2026 and will be going immediately to work. Galveston Island is meanwhile already fully operational, having been delivered in 2024.
The two new TSHDs will replace ageing dredgers in the GLDD fleet as part of a renewal program and will support the activities of the US Army Corps of Engineers.
