DSC Delivers Dredge to Nigeria
In August DSC Dredge delivered a 24-inch (600 mm) Marlin Class dredge to Ikorodu Lagos Nigeria. The dredge will be used for sand mining.
The dredge features two dredge pumps – a 24-inch pump located on the ladder and another 24-inch pump located on the dredge’s stern. The dredge has a 23-meter (76-foot) digging depth capability and is outfitted with spuds for use in waters with a strong current.
In addition to the 24-inch Marlin a new 18-inch Marlin Class dredge also was commissioned at the same time in Nigeria. This dredge is outfitted with a submersible 18-inch (450 mm) dredge pump and also features 23-meter digging depth capability. The dredges will be used for sharp sand mining and are able to dredge in areas difficult to reach because of their extended dredging depth configurations.
The demand for sharp sand to use in building roads making concrete and land development continues to increase in Nigeria even with the economic challenges faced by the country. The Lagos area had previously been mined with dredges that could only dredge down to 12 or 14 meters (40 to 46 feet) in depth; once those dredges reached their capacity they could no longer dredge an area. In fact the vast majority of dredges in Nigeria can only dig to a maximum depth of 14 meters. The new dredges will dig deeper and pump farther providing greater quantities of sand to meet demand.
DSC said deep digging capability is made possible by the use of an underwater pump system with a high torque cutter drive assembly for rigorous demands of the deep mining industry. Digging depths with the Marlin range from 10 meters (33 feet) to more than 61 meters (200 feet). Standard discharge sizes range from 8 inches (200 mm) to more than 24 inches (600 mm) to allow for a wide range of production and flow conditions to match specific mining operations.
DSC Marlin Class dredges are available in either a diesel- or electric-powered model. Drive systems include a Caterpillar ACERT diesel engine with inline direct marine-style transmission for dredge pump reduction or TEFC electric motor variable-frequency AC dredge pump motor drive and double-helical gear reducer for dredge pump reduction. All models feature a PLC operating system velocity meter electro-proportional hydraulic circuits high-capacity service water system maximizer suction dilution valves and a 3-wire mooring system. These performance features offer deep-water dredging capabilities combined with a wide array of suction and discharge sizes to maximize operating efficiencies for every customer’s operation.
The dredge will be used for sand mining where the demand for sharp sand to use in building roads making concrete
and land development is increasing.
