VESSEL REVIEW | Zephir – Compact dredger for Russian Arctic operator

An operator based in the Russian Arctic has taken delivery of a new cutter suction dredger (CSD) from Dutch shipbuilder and engineering firm the Damen Shipyards Group.

Named Zephir, the vessel has a length of 33.15 metres, a beam of 6.95 metres, a draught of 1.15 metres, a displacement of 115 tonnes, a rated maximum dredging depth of 14 metres and equipment that includes a deck crane, anchor booms, and a spud carriage unit. The dredger can pump up to 3,000 cubic metres of mixture in one hour through its floating pipeline. Damen said the total installed power of 941 kW ensures that all functions on board can work independently and simultaneously.

The dredger is of a standard Damen design that has been customised to make it more suitable for operations in the region of Russia where its owner is based. This area included the Gulf of Ob, which is over 2,000 kilometres north-east of Moscow. Due to the short spring and summer season in the country’s far north, there are few ice-free periods that allow for safe operation of the new dredger.

The outfitting and upgrade of the CSD was carried out at the specialist Damen Dredging Equipment yard in Nijkerk. This included increasing the dredging depth to its present 14 metres, plus classification and standard stock additions such as an accommodation unit.

The dredge pump draws power from a Caterpillar C32 main diesel generator while auxiliary power is provided by a Caterpillar C-09 unit. Fuel oil is fed by an 18.8-cubic-metre tank.

The vessel is also truck-transportable and therefore easily disassembled and re-assembled on-site, attributes that were demonstrated during the delivery that included stops and onloading/offloading at Antwerp and Saint Petersburg.

The CSD has since performed a number of capital dredging jobs in the region. Completed projects also include the deepening small rivers and stretches of the Gulf of Ob some 2,000 kilometres north-east of Moscow.

Click here for more news stories, feature articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s focus on marine projects.