Dutch engineering group Royal IHC has launched the world’s largest cutter suction dredger being built for Belgian dredging firm DEME.

The vessel, named Spartacus, also happens to be the first cutter suction dredge to be powered by LNG fuel.

The 164-meter, self-propelled Spartacus has capacity of  44,180kW and is equipped with four main engines plus two auxiliary engines designed to run on LNG, marine diesel oil (MDO) and heavy fuel oil (HFO). The vessel also features several innovative design features such as a waste heat recovery system, a one-man operated dredge control and a heavy-duty cutter ladder that can reach a dredging depth of 45m.

A launch ceremony took place last Friday at IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel in the Netherlands.

“DEME’s drive to innovate and focus on sustainability is reflected in the company’s multi-year fleet investment program,” says Director and CEO of DEME Alain Bernard. “The new additions to the fleet are part of our continuous efforts to further increase efficiency, both in terms of production and environmental performance. SPARTACUS stands out because of her unrivaled power and high-tech features on board. The CSD will drive new levels of performance and provide our customers with flexible solutions for dredging projects in even the most harsh and remote environments.”

Previously, Royal IHC and DEME worked together on the construction of the LNG-powered trailing suction hopper dredgers Minerva and Scheldt River.

IHC’s CEO Dave Vander Heyde commented: “IHC is known for its willingness to push boundaries to develop and produce high added-value equipment and vessels for our customers. The combination of power, size and innovation makes the SPARTACUS a perfect example of such a project. DEME was once the first dredging company to put a ‘jumbo’ dredger in the market which has led to a new generation of dredging vessels. As the SPARTACUS will soon be the world’s largest and most powerful LNG-powered CSD in operation, DEME will again have set a new standard in the market.”