Thickening, or dewatering, silt is a crucial step in efficiently utilising dredged material. Smals uses the innovative Baleen Rapid Dewatering System (RDS) for this purpose. By adding a special flocculant and using water-permeable bags, the volume of silt can often be reduced by up to half. The thickened, dry mass is also suitable for reuse as construction material, for example in dams and dikes.

The process starts with a GPS-controlled cutter suction dredger that carefully extracts silt, mud, and slurry from the seabed. Thanks to precise guidance, operations are carried out to within centimetres, minimising turbidity. The dredged material is transported via a pipeline to the dewatering area, where the Baleen technology comes into action. Polymers are added at the last moment to make the silt particles effectively clump together.

The Baleen system uses a mobile, computer-controlled injection station to add polymers at exactly the right moment and in the correct amount. The polymers do not chemically bind but create electrostatic charges that cause the particles to cluster. The result: large flocs of solids remain in the dewatering bags, while clean water flows through the pores and can be returned to the original location.

For dewatering, Smals creates simple, sustainable facilities such as basins or artificial dikes, often lined with foil or other protective layers to efficiently drain or pump water back. Using dewatering bags, silt can be processed quickly and compactly, significantly reducing storage, transport, and disposal costs. The thickened mass is immediately reused as construction material, enhancing the circularity of the process and making traditional, less efficient dewatering methods unnecessary.

The Baleen RDS system from Smals combines innovation, sustainability, and efficiency, making dredging processes faster, more environmentally friendly, and producing high-quality construction materials.