Damen Shipyards Galaţi, Romania, recently held a steel cutting ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of a new dredger for Hanson UK.
The steel cutting ceremony for the aggregate dredger type MAD3500 took place on the 13th of June.
Marine Aggregate Dredger (MAD) 3500 is the latest vessel in Damen’s series of newly designed and recently launched specific marine aggregate dredgers.
The new dredger will be used by Hanson’s marine business to extract aggregates in the British Channel and North Sea, aided by a number of special features specific to its innovative design, including a 1,400 kW permanent magnet electric motor, which powers the dredge pump for collecting aggregates at -55m.
This particular vessel will also feature a dry unloading system built by Damen’s partner PLM Cranes BV.
According to Damen, the MAD 3500 design achieves the optimal balance between payload and efficiency within limited dimensions and is ideally suited to operating within the dimensions of Shoreham lock on the English south coast.
The delivery of the new dredge is set for March 2021.