In May 2021, DEME launched its newest ship, Spartacus: a cutter suction dredger. With its 44.180 kW of power, this ship is unrivalled whether it’s for its productivity or ability to cut hard soil fragments.
Breaking the boundaries of dredging
Luc Vandenbulcke, CEO of the DEME Group (https://www.deme-group.com/), is proud of its new ship: “Spartacus was built on three fundaments: to go beyond the boundaries of dredging, achieving an unseen autonomy and minimising the impact on the environment. We’re proud to be market leader in terms of technology and sustainable development. The Spartacus truly embodies that commitment and our innovative spirit.”
164 metres long, Spartacus is nothing less than a giant. Nonetheless, the cutter ladder can be operated by a single person from the bridge! Moreover, the cutter ladder can reach dredging depths of 45 m.
A new market standard
With its revolutionary and ecological design and the countless innovations that can be found on board, this ship is unique. Spartacus is the world’s most powerful self-driven cutter suction dredger and the first be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The four main engines can run on heavy fuel oil, on MDO (Marine Diesel Oil) and on LNG. The two auxiliary engines have been built with a dual-fuel technology. Spartacus is also equipped with a waste heat recovery system that converts the engine’s exhaust gas heat into electricity.
With all the latest technology on board, Spartacus can be considered as the newest market standard in the global dredging market.
An exceptional ship
When the ship hit the water on August 3rd 2021, the construction was officially completed. Meanwhile, Spartacus has already set sail to its first mission in Abu Qir, Egypt. Next to numerous trailing suction hopper dredgers from DEME, Spartacus will contribute to the building of a 1000 ha platform on the sea by land reclamation. DEME expects to dredge an incredible volume of 150 m3 during this project.
Luc Vandenbulcke is very confident : Spartacus isn’t only reshaping dredging standards but also highlights the constant striving of DEME to be a pioneer that innovates and creates new opportunities. Thanks to Spartacus, unfeasible projects have now become possible.