loading ▁by ▁its ▁own . ▁In ▁the ▁same ▁year , ▁a ▁first ▁vessel ▁of ▁that ▁type ▁was ▁built ▁and ▁christ ended ▁as ▁Sch elde ▁II . ▁Société ▁Gén éra le ▁de ▁Drag age / Al gem ene ▁B agger ma at sch app ij ▁( SG D ) ▁realized ▁the ▁very ▁first ▁application ▁of ▁a ▁subm ers ible ▁p ump ▁in ▁d red ging , ▁when ▁such ▁a ▁device ▁was ▁developed ▁and ▁fixed ▁on ▁the ▁drag ▁head ▁of ▁T SH D ▁Ma as . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁her ▁commission ing ▁in ▁September ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁DE ME ' s ▁ 1 7 , 0 0 0   m 3 ▁flags hip ▁Pear l ▁River ▁became , ▁according ▁to ▁Richard son ▁( p .   1 1 ), ▁" the ▁very ▁first ▁su ction ▁ho pper ▁d red ge ▁of ▁a ▁completely ▁new ▁generation ▁– ▁featuring ▁twice ▁as ▁much ▁capacity ▁as ▁its ▁biggest ▁successor ." ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁DE ME ' s ▁French ▁subs idi ary ▁Société ▁de ▁Drag age ▁International ▁( S DI ) ▁launched ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁heavy - d ut y ▁and ▁ocean - going ▁cut ter ▁su ction ▁d red ger ▁d ' Ar tag nan ▁( 2 8 , 2 0 0   k W ▁installed ▁power ). ▁ ▁In nov ative ▁methods ▁that ▁are ▁aim ing ▁at ▁impro ving ▁the ▁d red ging ▁process , ▁include ▁DE ME ' s ▁propriet ary ▁DR AC U LA ▁technique ▁which ▁uses ▁high