GEAR | Schottel to power new Rhine salvage vessel

A new diving and salvage vessel for the Duisburg waterway and shipping authority (WSA Duisburg) being built at Damen Shipyards Gorinchem will be equipped with propulsion units from Schottel.

She will be powered by a total of three azimuth thrusters, two rudder propellers and a pump jet. All systems are driven by electric motors. Both rudder propellers (type SRP 150 FP), each of 330 kW, have a ducted propeller diameter of 1.10 metres, which provides the necessary thrust. This will enable the ship to reach a speed of at least seven knots, and, unlike its predecessor, will therefore be able to operate on the Rhine without towing assistance.

In combination with a 340kW SPJ 82 pump jet, the ship will be able to be safely manoeuvred on the Rhine and its regulated tributaries. Thanks to the completely flush installation in the ship’s hull, the jet is fully protected even in the event of a grounding.

The new ship, which will replace the existing Carl Straat (built in 1963), will be unique in Europe. It will be used to locate and recover lost cargo or wreckage. It will also be deployed for work on the river bed or for the inspection of structures at locks and weirs, and kept available as a salvage vessel.

The ship will also be used for mooring buoys in gravel or rock areas and to carry out sampling and drilling using nitrogen freezing. The modern diving bell system – including lifting device – makes future operation of the ship possible without lowering the water level.