Damen is set to deliver a customised Cutter Suction Dredger, type CSD500, next month. The stock vessel is customised at present to meet the specific requirements of the operation. A swift delivery is possible because Damen has most options available in stock. The dredger will be transported to the site, a mining plant in Eastern Africa, just weeks after receiving the order.

“As Damen we have been present in this region for over three decades,” Mr Hugo Doorenbos, Area Sales Manager, explains. “We know the specifics of our customers’ operations and the challenges they face. This dredger for instance will be fully customised to ensure it matches the processing plant behind it perfectly. And our customer wanted the security of a proven product, which our renowned CSD500 of course is. The fact that Damen can deliver a customised, proven product in a short lead time was a key factor in this deal.”

The cutter suction dredger CSD500 has been fitted out with a deck crane

Customised to suit specific mining operation

Outfitting is taking place at Damen Dredging Equipment in the Netherlands at this moment. The standard CSD500 will be customised to meet specific operational demands. The DDE expert team will increase the dredging depth, add a spud carriage installation and specific dredging instrumentation. This instrumentation includes standard items such as a production measurement system and customer specific additions. For example, dredge pump revolutions and depth indications are made available as digital signals for the customer’s operational software.

The Damen CSD500 is a stock vessel customised at the building yard before shipment

“The additions to the standard CSD have been chosen carefully” Mr Doorenbos adds. “The dredger is to mine ilmenite. We have carefully studied the mining operation to be able to provide our customer with an efficient and functional stationary dredger, which is perfectly adapted to the plant”. With outfitting running smoothly, the dredger is expected to leave the yard in July.