Piriou Shipyards has delivered a 2.300 m3 trailing suction hopper dredger, fitted out with Damen dredging equipment, to the French sand mining contractor CETRA. The hopper dredger, named “Michel DSR”, will mine sand an gravel off the Brittany coast and transport it throughout the Loire Estuary. The vessel is a prime example of franco-dutch cooperation in dredge building.

The twin-screw hopper dredger has been fitted out with a single starboard-side 600 mm trailing pipe with integrated submerged dredge pump. The vessel is 85 m long, 15.85 m wide and has a dredging draught of 5.98 m. The bridge and the accommodation are located aft. The spacious 7-crew accommodation includes all fully air conditioned facilities such as galley, mess room etc. The pump room and the engine room are located in the forecastle, near the hull suction inlet. Two 1.920 kW Caterpillar propulsion diesel engines ensure a speed of 13 knots.