Electrical system integrator Alewijnse has been awarded the contract for the complete electrical and automation installation on board the sister vessel of trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Anchorage, which was successfully delivered earlier this year. The innovative vessel is currently under construction at Barkmeijer Shipyards, part of Thecla Bodewes Shipyards. Delivery is scheduled for April 2022.
Innovative hopper dredgers
Both TSHDs are designed to extract sand and gravel aggregates from the seabed. Each vessel has a single suction pipe and a hopper capacity of 3,000m³.
Complete electrical and automation outfitting
The complete electrical and automation outfitting is the responsibility of Alewijnse. This includes the design, building, installation and commissioning of the switchboards, consoles and the dedicated alarm, monitoring and control systems. It also includes the design, engineering, supply and commissioning of the dredging automation system, including visualisation, monitoring and process control.
Ground-breaking dredging system
For the control and monitoring of the dredging process, Barkmeijer Shipyards has collaborated with Alewijnse to develop an intelligent and integrated bus-driven system. In addition to delivering high dredging performance, its capabilities mean that a crew of just 7 or 8 is all that is required to manage, load and unload the vessel. This ground-breaking system is now being made available to other clients via Alewijnse. Elsewhere on board, the diesel-electric power plants, provided by D&A Electric, significantly reduce energy consumption and emissions.
Integrated automation systems
In addition, several other advanced automation systems are being integrated on board, including an alarm and monitoring system (AMS) for fire door signalling and remote tank sounding, and a bridge operating system (BOS) for the control and monitoring of the lighting systems. Also being fitted is a dredge control system (DCS) for the control and signalling of the remote controlled dredging valves, position indication and control of the swell compensator, overflow, pumps, screen/hopper loading system and hydraulic installation. A ship system control (SSC) has also been specified for control and signalling of the trim valves and ventilation, plus supervision of the emergency generator.
The company is also installing an Alewijnse draught and loading system (ADLS) for continuous measuring of the equipment’s draught and the calculation of the actual load, trim and list. The Alewijnse suction tube system (ASTS) combines software and hardware for the measuring, calculating, visualisation and monitoring of the hopper dredger’s suction tube position under water.
Successful cooperation
Barkmeijer Shipyards and Alewijnse have been working together successfully for more than 40 years. Earlier projects include the joint delivery of the German Waddenferry Adler Rüm Hart, hopper dredgers UKD Orca (2010) and Charlock (2016) and three pilot station vessels built for the Dutch Pilots’ Organisation; the Polaris, Pollux and Procyon (2012 – 2014). Alewijnse has been contracted again for these two new TSHDs because of its extensive knowledge and experience combined with the long and strong relationship with Barkmeijer.
Martin Terpstra, Operational Manager at Alewijnse, is very pleased with the assignment: “We are very proud to have been awarded this second contract and it confirms the good cooperation between Barkmeijer Shipyards and Alewijnse,” he says. “We look forward to demonstrating our electrical and automation expertise once again with this project and to delivering jointly this second, high quality vessel.”
Jos de Groot, Manager R&D at Thecla Bodewes Shipyards, added; “I have worked with Alewijnse on many complex projects over the last 22 years but their performance on these particularly complex vessels deserves great appreciation! I hope to continue the cooperation on new challenges in the future.”[/fusion_text][/fullwidth]