World's largest electric dredger begins pilot operation to clear silt in Beijing

TIANJIN -- An all-electric cutter suction dredging vessel, the largest of its kind in the world, began its pilot operation on Tuesday, clearing silt and sediment at the Guanting Reservoir in Beijing.

Named Junlan, the dredger boasts 600 kilowatts of driving power and has a maximum digging depth of 25 meters.

The vessel has been independently designed and developed by the Tianjin Dredging Co., Ltd. of China Communications Construction Co., Ltd.

Yang Zhengjun, director of the dredging technology and equipment research and development center of the Tianjin company, described the world's largest all-electric detachable dredger as a "sharp tool" for silt removal, with an efficiency three times of previous dredger models. It is capable of dredging 2,000 cubic meters of silt per hour, which is equivalent to emptying a standard swimming pool.

Equipped with underwater pumping facilities, the vessel can transport sludge over a distance of more than five kilometers, Yang said.

"The commissioning of the vessel signifies that China's design and manufacturing capabilities for high-performance, environmentally friendly cutter suction vessels have reached an internationally advanced level," said Gao Wei, secretary-general of the China Dredging Association.

Guanting Reservoir, located on the Yongding River, borders Yanqing, a northern district of Beijing, and Huailai county in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province. The reservoir has been severely impacted by sediment accumulation, with approximately 650 million cubic meters of silt, which has affected its flood control, water supply and ecological conservation functions.

According to the dredging plan for the reservoir, 11.5 million cubic meters of sediment from the bottom are expected to be removed. This will help achieve Beijing's goal of improving the water quality and functions of Guanting Reservoir, laying a solid foundation for restoring its strategic water source function by 2035.

The commissioning of the Junlan vessel is expected to significantly accelerate the progress of the ecological project.