IHC Merwede and Boskalis signed a contract in November 2007 for the design, engineering and construction of two identical TSHDs. The assignment is unusual in that the ships are being built at the same time at two different IHC Merwede yards. The keel of the Gateway was laid on 4 February 2009.
The naming and launch of the 12,000m³ trailing suction hopper dredger the Gateway took place at the IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine yard in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, the Netherlands on Saturday, 26 September 2009 at about 11:00 a.m. The ship is being built for Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. The ceremony was conducted by Mrs M.J.A. Smits-Schiebroek, the spouse of ir. drs. H.N.J. Smits, the CEO of Rotterdam Port Authority N.V.
The keel of the Gateway was laid on 4 February 2009. Completion is planned for the first quarter of 2010. Her sister ship is currently under construction at IHC Dredgers in Kinderdijk, The Netherlands, where she will be launched in mid-February 2010.
Perfect Trim with Double Hopper
The Gateway has a single suction pipe with an underwater pump, allowing it to dredge to a depth of 62m. The ship has two hoppers, one in the bow and one in the stern, with the pump room in between.. This improves trim in shallow waters. In addition, the ship has a high pump capacity so that it can transport large volumes over a considerable distance. These specifications make the vessel suitable for a range of projects throughout the world, whether they involve large-scale land reclamation, beach replenishment or the construction of ports and waterways.
