Royal IHC (IHC) has started constructing Easydredge 2700, the first vessel in its range of standard trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD), in response to the increasing global demand for TSHDs.
IHC says that the new vessel will be supplied with a “world-dredging package”, which includes bottom doors, a bow coupling and a dredging depth of 25m.
Fer Tummers, Managing Director of IHC’s Dredging Division, said: “Building a TSHD for stock is a logical step forward for IHC. Availability of dredging equipment often causes a bottleneck for new entrants to this market.
The need to have equipment to secure a contract, and the need for a contract to secure financing to procure this equipment is a vicious circle that IHC aims to help break by having new equipment available from stock.”
The construction of the Easydredge 2700 is being carried out by IHC partner MTG Dolphin’s shipyard in Varna, Bulgaria. The shipyard is responsible for the assembly process and will deliver the vessel in summer 2015.