Preparations enable placement of floating solar farm

What began as a challenging project turned into a unique opportunity to demonstrate our expertise and develop an innovative solution. Our team carefully evaluated the situation, resulting in the creation of the Floating Screening Dredger.

The challenge

On an industrial site in Germany near Cologne (Köln), an aging silt pond needed to be dredged and leveled to make way for a floating solar park. The problem was that the material in the pond could not be pumped directly because of the large, coarse wood debris mixed in with the sludge, making traditional dredging solutions inadequate.

Our solution

We designed the Floating Screening Dredger, an innovative concept that allowed us to screen and separate the coarse material from the sludge. With this solution, we removed the top layer, making it possible to efficiently dredge the pumpable material with our Waterking WK 220 NG-5 dredge, equipped with a powerpack, a DAMEN DOP 200 pump and piping.

The process

• The Waterking WK 220 uses a perforated digging bucket to scoop up the sludge, mixed with wood and vegetation, and empty it into the Floating Screening Dredger.
• A shaker sieve then separates the coarse material, while the sludge is pumped out.
• The coarse material goes by conveyor belt to a barge, where a mobile crane unloads the material.
• After the coarse material is cleared by the Floating Screening Dredger, the WK 220 dredges the remaining silt using the DAMEN DOP 200.

This project required innovation and customization at every level. Being allowed to work for this project reminds us why we do what we do: create solutions that are going to exceed expectations.

Want to know more about the Floating Screening Dredger and how this machine can be of service in your project? Then feel free to contact one of our passionate staff members.