Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp., Houston, has added another Jones Act–compliant hopper dredge to its fleet with the delivery of the Amelia Island. The vessel was designed by C-Job Naval Architects, and built by Conrad Shipyard, Morgan City, La.
The 346'x69'x23' dredge carries 16,500 total horsepower and features two 31.5” trailing suction pipes capable of dredging depths up to 100’. The vessel has a hopper capacity of 6,330 cu. yd. and is equipped with EPA Tier IV engines and generators.
According to Great Lakes, the Amelia Island was built to operate efficiently and safely in shallow and narrow waters across all U.S. coasts. It is designed for a range of projects, including beach renourishment, coastal protection, channel deepening, and maintenance dredging.
“The delivery of our sixth hopper dredge, the Amelia Island, marks a significant milestone as our dredging newbuild program is now complete, leaving us with the largest and most advanced hopper fleet in the United States,” said Lasse Petterson, Great Lakes president and CEO. “Engineered with a high level of automation, this vessel is well suited for diverse operations. Already with a full schedule for 2025 and 2026, the dredge will be going immediately to work.”
The Amelia Island joins its sister ship, the Galveston Island, which was also built to expand Great Lakes’ capacity to support U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects and broader U.S. dredging industry needs.
The new hopper dredge comes just one month after Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corp. launched the 461' Jones Act-compliant rock installation vessel Acadia at Hanwha Philly Shipyard, Philadelphia. The Acadia is the first U.S flagged, Jones Act-compliant subsea rock installation (SRI) vessel.
WorkBoat reached out to Great Lakes Dredge & Dock for further specs on the Amelia Island.
