IHC Merwede has successfully named and launched the 5,500m³ trailing suction hopper dredger, DCI DREDGE XX, in a ceremony on 2 February 2013 at the company’s shipyard in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands. It is building the innovative vessel for Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI).
The ceremony was performed by Mrs R Mohanty, the spouse of Captain DK Mohanty, the Managing Director of DCI, who was also in attendance, along with Mrs Geetu Joshi, the Director of the Ministry of Shipping in India.
During the ceremony, a coconut was propelled against the side of the ship, as a Hindu symbol of fortitude, purity, truth and prosperity. The smashing of a coconut is a sign that all obstacles attempting to stand in the way of the vessel will be overcome.
DCI DREDGE XX is the second vessel from a series of three (including the DCI DREDGE XIX and DCI DREDGE XXI) and will be built under dual class (Lloyd’s Register and Indian Register of Shipping). IHC Merwede has previously supplied ten vessels to DCI, having been selected as supplier due to its efficiency and reliability in delivering previous orders on time.
The vessel will be deployed – along with the DCI DREDGE XIX – for the maintenance-dredging project on the Hooghly River, which is a tributary of the Ganges River in West Bengal. DCI’s dredging fleet is specially designed for this task, taking into account the Hooghly River’s soil properties, strong current and shallow depth. The dredgers feature high levels of productivity, reliability and efficiency as well as low power consumption and operational costs. On 15 November 2012, her sister ship, the DCI DREDGE XIX, was delivered three weeks ahead of schedule and has already been successfully utilized in operations. The construction of these DCI dredgers is having a positive impact on the Indian economy. DCI DREDGE XX will be delivered midway through 2013.
[mappress] IHC Merwede, February 4, 2013