The technology allows the removal of sediment without contact with the seabed, maintaining a vacuum field around the point of excavation in order to avoid spills and the consequent phenomenon of sediment resuspension. This aspect is decisive in operating in protected areas or with the presence of contaminated agents, in fact, avoiding giving rise to turbidity phenomena means avoiding the uncontrolled, and moreover uncontrollable, spread of pollutants.
The technology advantageously allows in-process dewatering, sediment grading, and extraction of any foreign bodies (branches, litter, chains, etc.) in the absence of water withdrawal from the water body.
At the exit from the dynamic dewatering system, sediments, stripped of any foreign matter, are available in immediately palatable condition and classified according to the predetermined implementation objectives. Depending on their characteristics, it is possible to recover the largest volume of sediment and reduce waste.
The entire process of sediment withdrawal and extraction takes place in a closed loop. The recirculation fluid is cyclically invested with energy, which it uses first to erode the seafloor and then to transfer the sediment to the board, then it is separated from the sediment. The use of recirculation fluid in a closed circuit means that no water is taken from the water body.
The technology allows for a high degree of operational flexibility: it ensures that the sampling site remains usable even during ecodredging activities, because all sampling and classification operations take place in-process, either on a floating unit or on land.
The possibility of recovering and reusing the extracted material means that there is no need for backfill ponds. This aspect, in addition to being an unquestionable environmental merit, is also an operational advantage, especially where the context does not allow for such sites.