Dredge Yard receives an order for a customized Cutter Suction Dredger from Western Potash
Dredge Yard has received an order for a customized Cutter Suction Dredger from Western Potash Corp. (WPC)- a development stage potash company based in Canada. The customized dredger will be used in WPC’s Milestone Potash Project for dredging potash, the company said in its release.
WPC confirmed that Dredge Yard was chosen to deliver this dredger, because it has “both the industrial experience in potash and right equipment offerings, and during the entire negotiation process were very quick with communications and responsive to client requests.”
When designing a dredger for WPC, special attention was paid to achieve a solution that would be as ecologically and economically responsible as possible. Therefore, this ECO dredger features customization to optimize its efficiency for this project. An example of this is its four electric motors. Each motor drives a different component, allowing for optimal power use and high efficiency dredging that doesn’t waste any power. This is an approach, which is advantageous for both – budget and the environment.
In addition to optimal efficiency, the electric motor drives are used instead of a diesel engine. As a result, air pollution and the risk of fuel spillage during operation is eliminated. An electric driven dredger is also much quieter than a diesel model. This reduces noise pollution in the surrounding environment. Finally, the electric motors are cleaner and easily maintained compared to combustion engines. All these factors contribute to an ecologically and socially responsible dredging approach.
As this dredger is intended solely for dredging potash, it was completely redesigned for optimal performance for this project. According to project engineer at Dredge Yard, Antonis Saliaris, “no two dredging projects are the same. Customized solutions help to achieve the best dredging performance under the specific project conditions.”.
The dredger is in the process of being built in Dredge Yard’s facility in Rotterdam, Netherlands. It will be tested and be delivered in early 2020.
About WPC Milestone Potash Project
The dredger will be used in WPC Milestone Potash Project Phase 1 Plant. More specifically, it will be placed in the Crystallization Pond and dredge potash from the pond. The dredged potash will then be sent for further processing, drying and compaction.
