The official naming ceremony of the Damen cutter suction dredger (CSD500) Yantra took place in Ruse, Bulgaria, last week.
The CSD is part of an important modernisation programme of the Danube dredging fleet, and will have the prominent task of keeping the Danube at the required depth.
The naming ceremony was performed by the Dutch ambassador to Bulgaria, Ms Bea ten Tusscher.
As Godmother of the dredger she stated that the task to be performed by the dredger – keeping the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube navigable – is an important one.
The CSD was added to the fleet of the Executive Agency for Exploration and Maintenance of the Danube River (EAEMDR). This agency is responsible for maintaining the navigable depth in the Bulgarian stretch of the Danube river.
The constant maintenance of the Danube is vital to keep the river navigable even in the dry spells in summer. The locally required depth for the inland transport is -3 metres.
The delivery of the Yantra is part of the modernisation of the local dredging fleet.
Damen was successful in winning EAEMDR’s European tender as the CSD500 best fitted the requirements.