AUTONOMOUS DREDGING ROBOT

NESSIE

NESSIE stands for New Environmental System for Sediment
Innovative Evacuation.

NESSIE is the first autonomous and continuous dredging robot.
It was developed in France by WATERTRACKS.

NESSIE was designed in response to a call for tenders for an EDF innovation project, with the aim of restoring sediment continuity from upstream to downstream of a retaining structure.

This 15-ton robot is capable of dredging up to 150 tons of sediment per hour at depths of over 300m. Its precise instrumentation enablesreal-time control andadjustment of production density to control the concentration of sediment discharged downstream. In particular, this enables sediment flow to be restored in a controlled manner , while complying with the technical and regulatory constraints specific to each facility.

This enables it to access even the most remote reservoirs, and to be launched via a simple construction site track.

Its 800^m3/h pump features specially designed cutters for dredging different types of sediment.

Features

Programmable and Maneuverable

The dredging plan can be programmed and monitored by NESSIE, enabling precise dredging of all or part of the reservoir, whether to clear a water intake, a bottom valve or to create a channel.

NESSIE is able to spot and avoid obstacles on its route independently.

Production can be adjusted in real time, allowing it to be linked to mill production or the flow of the downstream watercourse.

No constraints on the water surface

NESSIE works from the bottom without operators on the water.

It has been designed for :

allow large variations in water level during dredging;
Working 24 / 7;
Enhanced operator safety from the control station;
Allow dredging under a frozen lake or under a structure such as a floating photovoltaic panel.

Developed for dilution dredging of fine sediments

NESSIE’s design enables it to operate efficiently in alpine reservoirs.

Its 800^m3/h pump is equipped with cutters to increase pumping efficiency while rejecting unwanted granulometries.

Its instruments enable real-time control and adjustment of the concentration discharged , to allow dilution dredging through factory water intakes.

Quick to set up

NESSIE consists of three dismantled components weighing less than five tonnes , together with a mobile control room and a generator for access to the most remote reservoirs.

Once assembled, NESSIE can move autonomously up to the water level without the help of a crane.

This agility maintains controlled installation costs and rapid implementation.