VESSEL REVIEW | Xinhaixun – Low-emission hopper dredger designed for Chinese coastal and inland waters

China Communications Construction Company (CCCC), via its subsidiary CCCC Shanghai Waterway Bureau, has taken delivery of a new large trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) for operation in coastal, channel, and inland waters.

Low-emission, multi-role platform

Built by Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries (ZPMC), Xinhaixun (新海鲟; “New Sea Sturgeon”) was designed to undertake dredging, land reclamation, and maintenance projects.

The vessel is notable for its dual-fuel propulsion system that can also operate on LNG to reduce its environmental impact when undertaking works in sensitive marine environments along the Yangtze River Estuary and in many ports throughout China. Specifically, compared to conventionally-powered dredgers, the new TSHD can generate up to 90 per cent fewer emissions of CO2 and NOx, while emissions of SOx and particulate matter are reduced to near-zero.

The TSHD has an LOA of 155.7 metres (510.8 feet), a beam of 32 metres (100 feet), a full load draught of 9.9 metres (32 feet), a depth of 13.5 metres (44.3 feet), and a maximum hopper capacity of 16,808 cubic metres (593,570 cubic feet). The dual-fuel propulsion arrangement consists of two main engines driving propellers to deliver speeds of up to 14.5 knots. The vessel’s dimensions make it one of the largest dual-fuel TSHDs currently in operation.

The engines are fed by LNG fuel tanks with a total capacity of 15,000 cubic metres (530,000 cubic feet), thus ensuring a maximum autonomy of 14 days when operating in LNG mode. Systems are also available for dealing with any boil-off gas to help minimise any unwanted loss of LNG fuel through evaporation.

Enhanced systems allowing for reduced manpower requirements

The TSHD will run on diesel only as a backup when adequate quantities of LNG fuel are not available. Nonetheless, it is possible for the crew to switch between the two fuels at any time, which is a key ability when the vessel needs to sail on long transits and operate in an environmentally sensitive area in a single deployment.

The dredger is equipped with an advanced intelligent management platform and power management systems. The overall design emphasises environmental protection, high operational safety, intelligence, and efficiency. The vessel is also one of the first applications in China of an innovative “one-key dredging” system that will permit both navigation and dredging to be controlled by a single crewmember.

Xinhaixun was built by ZPMC in compliance with China Classification Society rules. The TSHD is scheduled to work on its first project in the middle of September 2024.