Posted on March 19, 2025
Chinese shipbuilder Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC) recently handed over a new cutter suction dredger (CSD) to China Communications Construction Company (CCCC)
Named Junlan (浚澜), the non-self-propelled CSD will be operated by CCCC’s Tianhang Bureau. All of the onboard machinery is powered by electricity. In addition to reducing its environmental impact during operations, the use of electrically driven machinery makes the vessel one of the first deep water-capable dredgers to be built in China.
The CSD has all-steel construction, an LOA of 67 metres (220 feet), a beam of 11.95 metres (39.2 feet), and two main diesel generators with a total installed power of 4,520 kW.
With the aid of a 600kW cutter, the dredger will be capable of extracting sediment from a depth of 25 metres (82 feet) at a rate of 2,200 cubic metres (78,000 cubic feet) per hour, making it ideal for deployment in rivers, lakes, and dams of various sizes.
Dual power modes for greater operational flexibility
Junlan
The dredger is equipped with high-efficiency, wear-resistant mud pumps and an intelligent monitoring system. The underwater mud pump, the cabin mud pump, and the cutter are all powered by variable frequency drives.
A shore connection allows the dredger to source electricity from the local grid, thus freeing up the generators for use when the dredger is deployed in remote areas with inadequate power distribution infrastructure.
Compact modular design coupled with reduced environmental impact
The underwater pump and the cabin pump can be fitted with extensions so that any collected sediment can be discharged up to five kilometres (three miles) away from the dredger. This helps streamline operations by placing any dedicated discharge areas as far away from work sites as possible.
The CSD has been designed to permit operation by only one person if needed while the modular construction – with each main structural component measuring no more than four metres ( feet) wide – allows the vessel to be easily disassembled, transported by road or rail even to remote mountainous areas, and then re-assembled on-site. This attribute enables CCCC to reduce its reliance on oversized dredgers, thus ensuring a smaller logistical footprint.
Junlan
