Since establishing a preferred supplier status with China-based IHC Merwede, the global leader in the design, fabrication and supply of equipment for the dredging industry, Cat engines have powered dozens of dredgers supplied for the Chinese dredging market. Supported by the demonstrated success in this continually growing industry, five Cat engines will now power one of the most powerful cutter suction dredgers to operate in the Bohai Bay in Northern China.
An example of the IHC 8527MP dredger
Commissioned by Tianjin Shunhang in November 2009, the new IHC 8527MP dredger will be amply powered by twin Cat C280-12 (3,700bkW at 1000rpm) engines to drive the in-board main dredge pump and triple Cat 3516B (1,717bkW at 1,500rpm) auxiliary engines to provide electric power. Both the high-speed Cat 3500B series and the medium-speed Cat C280 series use electronic engine control to perfectly balance power, fuel economy and engine emissions. These engines were specifically chosen by Shunhang due to the high performance of Cat engines as well as proven reliability in the Chinese market and product support capabilities of WesTrac China, the Cat dealer for North and Northeast China.
As the enormous growth of dredging activity in China continues to increase the investment in dredgers, so has the customer demands for more power and more output. In fact, the latest evolution of the IHC Merwede dredgers, the 8,527MP, now has a dredging capacity of 15,000 cubic metres to provide a high level of productivity, reliability and ease of operation. This design is based on a suction diameter of 85 centimetres and can cope with dredging depths up to 27 metres. Supported by IHC Merwede's powerful reputation in the dredging industry, eight additional 8,527MP dredgers were sold at the 2009 Marintec China exhibition, all powered by Cat engines.
Caterpillar Marine Power Systems has been established as the preferred propulsion and auxiliary power supply for the dredge industry in China throughout the past few years. Through strong cooperation between IHC Merwede and local Cat dealers, the outstanding reliability and durability of the Cat marine product has proven to Chinese dredging contractors that improved dredging performance requires superior engine performance. As a result, Caterpillar is today a demanded source of power for complex dredging projects in China and beyond.
For the Shunhang application, nearly all the engines have been supplied in a tailor-made package from WesTrac to facilitate customisation to meet shipbuilding requirements. In fact, WesTrac's powerful commissioning and service capabilities were noted as a differentiator from the competition to relieve any future worries about the installation and balanced performance of the engines in the long term.
