IHC Merwede has delivered the Chang Jiang Kou 02 to Yangtze Estuary Waterway Administration Bureau (YEWAB) in Shanghai. The 12,000 m³ trailing suction hopper dredger was handed over to YEWAB Director, Mr Lu Shi Ming.
IHC Merwede's contract with YEWAB included the design, construction and delivery of two identical vessels: the Chang Jiang Kou 02, built in conjunction with the company's Chinese partner's yard; and its sister vessel, the Chang Jiang Kou 01, which was delivered in May last year.
Wild Dragon Draghead
Both vessels – named after the mouth of the Yangtze River – have been specifically designed with the high-current velocity and soil properties of the river in mind. This is one of the reasons why the vessels are equipped with the patented IHC Merwede Wild Dragon draghead and have already carried out maintenance dredging jobs over a distance of 122 km.
Alberto Alemán Zubieta
For IHC it is the second dredger delivered within a month. On 22 April 2013, the yard also delivered the Alberto Alemán Zubieta to Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP) in Panama City. The vessel will initially be deployed for the expansion and then the maintenance of the Panama Canal. It has been conceived and developed to operate in the Canal's Gaillard Cut, where it will dredge blasted rock and heavy soil.
