What Is The Fuel Consumption of A Typical Cutter Suction Dredger?

What is the fuel consumption of a typical cutter suction dredger?

The fuel consumption of a typical cutter - suction dredger is affected by various factors, such as the power of the main engine, the output of the dredger, and the type of working soil. The following are the fuel - consumption situations of some common cutter - suction dredgers:

· Small - scale cutter - suction dredgers

· According to the data on the Agricultural Machinery Network, for a large - scale sand - dredging ship with capacity of 500 cubic meters per hour, the total fuel consumption is between 15L/H and 30L/H1. The fuel consumption is related to the draft. The greater the draft, the higher the fuel consumption.

· The IT C250 hydraulic cutter - suction dredger of ITECH Dredge has an output of 150 cubic meters per hour, a main - engine power of 258 kilowatts, and a maximum fuel consumption of 51.6 kilograms per hour (about 61L/H).

· Medium - scale cutter - suction dredgers

· The IT-CSD500 cutter suction dredger has a power of 900 kilowatts, is equipped with a Weichai Power 8170 engine, and has a fuel consumption of 215g/kw·h9. According to this calculation, the hourly fuel consumption is about 193.5 kilograms, and the fuel consumption per hour is about 230L calculated according to the density of diesel oil of 0.84g/cm³.

· The 800m³/h cutter - suction dredger on the ITECH Dredge, with the model of IT-CSD650 has a total installed power of 2100 kilowatts and a fuel consumption of 20 tons per day13. If calculated according to 24 - hour operation, the hourly fuel consumption is about 833 kilograms, and the fuel consumption per hour is about 992L calculated according to the density of diesel oil of 0.84g/cm³. However, if the actual working hours are less, the hourly fuel consumption will be higher.

· Large - scale cutter - suction dredgers

· The “Hongyu Jun 07” cutter - suction dredger, which was put into use in the Pinglu Canal project, has a total installed power of 2920 kilowatts and an average hourly dredging output of about 500 cubic meters10. According to the relevant introduction, it can save 2.2 tons of diesel oil for every 10,000 cubic meters of soil excavation, but there is no direct data on the specific hourly fuel consumption.

· For a 2500m³/h cutter - suction dredger, the total power is 985 kilowatts, equipped with a Weichai main - engine of 735 kilowatts and a Weichai auxiliary - engine of 230 kilowatts, and the total fuel consumption is 107 kilograms per hour.

In addition, the fuel - consumption of cutter - suction dredgers is also related to the engine brand and model. Take the commonly used Weichai engine as an example, the WH620 series marine diesel engine has a minimum fuel consumption of 195g/kW·h14. If it is equipped with this type of engine, the fuel - consumption of the cutter - suction dredger can be calculated according to the specific power. And the fuel - consumption of Cummins diesel engines is generally 7 - 15 liters per 100 kilometers, but the specific value needs to be judged according to the actual use scenario5.

For the iTECH Dredge brand, if you want to know the fuel - consumption of its cutter - suction dredgers, it is necessary to combine the specific model, main - engine power, and actual working conditions. Usually, the larger the power of the cutter - suction dredger and the greater the output, the higher the absolute value of fuel consumption, but the fuel consumption per unit of earth - rock volume may be reduced due to the improvement of efficiency. At the same time, reasonable operation and maintenance, as well as the selection of appropriate construction technology, can also help reduce the fuel consumption of cutter - suction dredgers. 

Reference

1. iTECH Technical Manual (2025). "What is the fuel consumption of a typical cutter suction dredger?”

2. Western Dredging Association (2012). “FUEL PROVISIONS FOR DREDGING PROJECTS”

3. Royal IHC (2025). "Beaver® 40 cutter suction dredger”

4. Science Direct (2024). “A case study on a cutter suction dredger”

5. Central Dredging Association (2023). “Energy Efficiency Considerations for Dredging Projects and Equipment”