Posted on January 29, 2026
Netherlands-based engineering specialist the Dekker Group has taken delivery of a new electric cutter suction dredger (CSD) built by local company De Klop.
The CSD is equipped with a submersible pump and pole truck as standard and is built under Bureau Veritas class for coastal waters. De Klop said the CSD was built entirely in the Netherlands and was already in an advanced stage of completion at the time of the sale to Dekker.
“It is a fully electric, standardised, and demountable CSD, designed to be built on stock rather than for a specific end user,” André Kik, Naval Architect and Co-Owner of De Klop, told Baird Maritime. “This approach enables short delivery times while maintaining high technical standards and flexibility for final configuration.
Adaptable to various soil types and depths
The first CSD in the Dekker fleet has been engineered for emission-free dredging of a wide range of soil types including silt, sand, and gravel.
”Its power supply concept is highly flexible and can be sourced from the electrical grid or from external energy systems such as fuel cell generators or generator sets running on methanol, LNG, or diesel,” added De Klop Co-Owner and Dredging Specialist Marcel Boor. “This makes the CSD easily adaptable to local energy availability and future fuel transitions.”
Dekker had requested for a robust and flexible production asset that could operate reliably across multiple projects under increasingly stringent environmental and regulatory conditions.
“First and foremost, the vessel had to be fully electric and emission-free in operation,” said Boor. “This was a fundamental requirement, driven by Dekker’s ambition to work in environmentally sensitive river systems and urban areas, and to remain compliant with both current and future emission legislation. From a builder’s perspective, this meant designing a dredger that could operate entirely without onboard combustion engines or hydraulics, while still delivering predictable and high production rates.”
The energy concept had to allow power supply from shore but also be compatible with alternative external power sources such as generator sets or future energy technologies. This requirement translated into a vessel architecture that is fuel-flexible and prepared for technological developments over its operational lifetime.
“Another key element of the brief was performance across a wide operating window,” said Kik. “The dredger had to be capable of handling varying soil types—from fine sediments to sand and gravel—while maintaining stable production.
“In addition, Dekker explicitly required the vessel to be adaptable for greater dredging depths, without the need for fundamental redesign. This placed strong emphasis on pump selection, cutter power, structural margins, and the scalability of the overall system.”
Can be upgraded with greater capacities without extensive rebuilding
The design allows straightforward upgrading to greater dredging depths without compromising efficiency or reliability. The new Dekker dredger itself will be modified to operate at significantly increased dredging depths.
“Dekker required a dredger that functions as a true process machine, where cutter power, pump characteristics, pipeline diameter, and swing and step behaviour are carefully balanced. For us, this meant focusing not only on individual components, but on system integration and process optimisation to ensure consistent performance under real project conditions.”
Modular assembly for each of servicing and deployment
Practical operability was another important requirement. The vessel had to be demountable and logistically efficient, allowing transport and mobilisation to inland project locations with minimal disruption.
Assembly also had to be safe and straightforward, preferably without underwater connections, reducing risk during installation and maintenance. This requirement directly influenced the modular design philosophy and interface engineering.
“Finally, Dekker placed strong emphasis on maintainability and lifecycle costs,” Boor told Baird Maritime. “The dredger had to be accessible, service-friendly, and designed with long-term ownership in mind. This required close involvement of service and maintenance expertise during the engineering phase, ensuring that maintenance is designed in rather than added later.
“In summary, the brief called for a dredger that combines zero-emission operation, scalable performance, modular construction, and long-term adaptability. The CSD was therefore not conceived as a project-specific solution, but as a platform that enables Dekker to deliver complex river and area development projects reliably, sustainably, and efficiently.”
