en.Wedoany.com Reported - The DB Catalina dredge is removing approximately 8 million cubic yards of sediment from the Houston Ship Channel in the United States. Equipped with a bucket capacity exceeding 76 cubic meters and an engine power of up to 4,000 horsepower, the crew works in continuous shifts. This hybrid mechanical dredge, owned by the US company Curtin Maritime, was built in 2025. Its owner describes it as the largest hybrid clamshell dredge in the Western Hemisphere—a bucket system with two hinged shells.

The Houston Ship Channel is approximately 52 miles (about 84 kilometers) long, connecting the Houston port area to the Gulf of Mexico. The channel's surface appears calm, but large amounts of mud and other sediment are accumulating on the waterway's bottom. If not removed promptly, the available water depth for vessels will gradually decrease, hindering the passage of large cargo ships, tankers, and container vessels. To prevent a decline in capacity on this major US commercial route, the DB Catalina works almost nonstop. A video released by the BuildWitt channel on May 23, 2026, shows the vessel operating in the channel.

The vessel's largest bucket can remove nearly 80 cubic meters of material in a single cycle. The Houston Ship Channel handles over 300 million tons of cargo annually.