Looking back over the last few decades, there are pivotal moments that have revolutionized the development and maintenance of US waterways. With a focus on ecological preservation and maintaining vital environmental habitats, developments within the sector must seek to not only support infrastructure development, but find more effective and efficient ways to maintain bodies of water and their varying needs. From reservoirs and estuaries, to ports and harbors, each has a unique set of varying and complex needs, which demands a delicate balance of management to help ensure all life sources can thrive.
TIAMAT: Revolutionizing Dredging with Hydrodynamic Technology
Haven Dredging was incorporated in early 2023, following years of trials of a new maintenance dredging solution by Harwich Haven Authority—the UK’s largest port, spanning over 150 square miles, with 40% of the country’s container traffic. Tiamat, a hydrodynamic maintenance dredging solution, was developed to reduce the environmental impact of maintenance dredging and to integrate seamlessly into traditional dredging practices, whilst significantly reducing the cost of the activity.
VIDEO COURTESY OF HARWICH HAVEN AUTHORITY (HHA)
A groundbreaking development, Tiamat harmonizes with natural processes, using the power of nature to maximize its performance. It is a submersible modular dredging machine consisting of a towable unit that can be attached to most standard maritime vessels, such as a multicat or workboat, using an A-frame and a crane. Tiamat utilizes hydrodynamic technology to pump water into the seabed, with another pump to extract the sediment, which is then released back into the central water column and naturally dispersed by tidal movements.
By “Dredging with Nature,” sediment is reintroduced into the water column at the right depth, without causing excess turbidity or impacting water quality. This process also encourages self-replenishment of the sediment through natural re-suspension in the marine environment.
Additionally, by removing the need for sediment disposal at sites further afield, Tiamat lowers the environmental footprint of dredging activities and therefore the associated costs. This approach supports broader sustainability goals, heightening Haven Dredging’s commitment to reducing carbon footprints and achieving net-zero emissions. The use of Tiamat also significantly reduces operational costs and greenhouse gas emissions, highlighting its compounding benefits to vital marine ecosystems, as well as the bottom line for businesses.
Integration Within Traditional Practices
While Tiamat introduces an innovative approach, it also addresses a significant challenge in the US market—the limited availability of suitable dredging vessels, which often increases the cost of dredging practices. Traditional dredging is essential for maintaining navigable waterways but faces challenges such as high emissions and sediment disposal issues, alongside highly specific equipment requirements.
Tiamat acts as a complementary solution working alongside traditional methods to enhance effectiveness and performance, thanks to its adaptability to work with most maritime workboats and vessels. By integrating into existing workflows, Tiamat introduces sustainable dredging practices while reducing overall project costs and improving the availability of dredging plant infrastructure.
Tiamat is also proven to work effectively alongside current dredging campaigns, reducing the need for Trailing Suction Hopper Dredging (TSHD) runs over time. In the UK, Harwich Haven Authority has successfully reduced its TSHD outlay from six annual campaigns down to just three, realizing an average savings of approximately £1.5 million per campaign.
Meeting Diverse Waterway Needs
Tiamat’s versatility ensures it is suitable for multiple marine environments, from calm reservoirs to dynamic estuaries and harbors. When considering reservoirs and dams, Tiamat’s gentle sediment resuspension helps maintain water quality and capacity without disturbing delicate aquatic ecosystems. In estuaries and coastal areas, it supports the replenishment of habitats such as marshes and wetlands, which are crucial for biodiversity and coastal protection. This adaptability ensures Tiamat can meet the unique needs of different water bodies, offering a tailored approach to asset management.
Validating Tiamat’s Effectiveness
A recent USACE feasibility report discusses Tiamat’s performance metrics in the US, showcasing the versatility and effectiveness of hydrodynamic applications in domestic regions. Of particular interest is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, making it an ideal tool for the US West Coast, where strict air emission regulations limit the operational windows of traditional heavy dredgers.
Tiamat could also address major siltation issues in US reservoirs, facilitating sediment bypass and downstream movement with natural outflows, thus maintaining critical dam efficiency and reservoir capacity.
Marsh and wetland restoration could be another excellent potential use case for the US, offering a cost-effective solution that avoids the need for extensive pipeline placement and supports natural sediment settling without disrupting existing flora and fauna. Concurrently, its deployment near open water with strong natural flows and long-distance placement sites continues to yield highly positive results.
Building Resilient, Future-Proof Solutions
Haven Dredging and Tiamat are at the forefront of building resilient and future-proof dredging solutions. By integrating traditional practices with cutting-edge technology, it is setting new standards for the dredging industry. Tiamat’s ability to adapt to various environments, combined with its focus on ecological preservation, makes it a key player in the future of waterway management in the US.
In conclusion, Tiamat highlights the potential to ensure it meets the diverse needs of different water bodies in a natural method, whilst preserving valuable marine ecosystems. Tiamat offers port authorities and dredging companies a cleaner and greener method of maintenance dredging in the marine environment, that is easy to deploy, adaptable and at a lower cost.
For more information on Haven Dredging and Tiamat, please visit www.havendredging.com.
