In Indonesia, the first of the series Damen CSD600 has started operation. The distinctive Cutter Suction Dredger is the first of Damen’s comprehensive new dredger range to be delivered. It was transported from Rotterdam, the Netherlands to Indonesia as deck cargo on a heavy lift carrier. The stationary dredger, named Jhoni 58, is working on a maintenance dredging project.

The dredging operation is located at the Port of Batulicin on the island of Kalimantan. The main activities of the port relate to its important coal terminal. The busy access channel is used by numerous coal barge transports. Due to the continuous sedimentation of this channel, the CSD600 is required to maintain the navigational depth. The newly designed high-efficiency dredge pump removes this sediment and pumps it to a spoil field some 500 meters away.

The powerful Cutter Suction Dredger was commissioned on-site by Damen Field Service Engineers. During commissioning the crew familiarised themselves with the dredger’s features such as the 250 kilowatt cutter unit, the large swing width, and the maximum dredging depth of -16m. A major topic was the state-of-the-art control system.

With no desk in the control cabin, the crew had to familiarise themselves with the controls integrated in the dredge master’s chair. Two screens connect with the easily recognizable buttons and levers in the chair. One touch screen is located within reach at the righthand armrest. A larger screen is at the dredge master’s feet. Ms Inge Hoogenboezem, Damen Sales Manager, explains “Clear visuals inform the dredge master at one glance on the production of the dredge pump, the status of the drive, etc. Troubleshooting is easy due to the evident schematic screen layout of the various systems on board. In the future, the system can be expanded easily by adding modules such as cutter automation, dredge pump automation, and so on. For now, the dredge master can, for instance, determine the swing width by entering a few digits and the dredger moves sideways automatically. This is a much-praised improvement on the large dredge job at hand.”

The operator of the dredger, PT. Dua Samudera Perkasa is a key player in the port industry on the island of Kalimantan. Mr Haji Samsudin Andi Arsyad, owner of PT. DSP, says, “We are proud to deploy the first of a series CSD600 here in Batulicin; it fits our operation perfectly. Our company wants to be at the forefront of technological developments. Our dredger Jhoni 58 is just that and performs well, with the Damen Field Service team ensuring a smooth start-up of our operations.”