IHC Merwede has secured orders worth € 350 million for a wide range of dredging and offshore vessels and equipment.

The company's Dredging division has confirmed new contracts for the delivery of a large custom-built trailing suction hopper dredger, IHC Beaver Dredgers will supply thirteen units and a cutter suction dredger training simulator. The Offshore division has received orders for the construction of a 300-tonne pipelaying vessel, as well as a J-Lay pipelaying system and a tandem mooring system.

Largest IHC Built Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Ever

In the Dredging division, IHC Merwede will soon start constructing the largest trailing suction hopper dredger it has ever produced for a Chinese customer, CCCC Guangzhou Dredging Company (GDC). This latest addition to GDC's dredging fleet will be built at a Dutch shipyard, despite the fact that it is based in a country with an in-depth knowledge of the field of shipbuilding.

Thirteen Dredging Vessels

The remaining thirteen dredging vessels consist of eleven standard IHC Beaver cutter suction dredgers, a Delta Multi Craft standard work boat and a booster station. IHC Merwede delivers standard vessels and equipment from stock.

Cutter Suction Dredger Training Simulator

In addition, Huta Marine Works has commissioned IHC Merwede to develop and supply a cutter suction dredger training simulator. This will accompany the delivery of the previously ordered custom-built cutter suction dredger, which is currently under construction at the IHC Merwede yard in Kinderdijk. Huta Marine Works will use the simulator in training courses for operators of the latest cutter suction dredgers in its fleet and this will include the technical capability to incorporate future vessels.

Pipelaying Vessel

In the Offshore division, the 300-tonne pipelaying vessel ordered by Sapura Navegação Marítima will be delivered with a pipelay spread supplied by IHC Engineering Business. This ship will install flexible pipelines in Brazilian waters, pursuant to Petrobras' contracts for the charter and operation of pipelaying support vessels, previously awarded to Sapura Navegação Marítima.

J-Lay Pipelaying System

An additional offshore order from Petrofac includes the design and construction of a 2000-tonne capacity J-Lay pipelaying system. This will be installed on a new deep-water construction vessel in 2016 to lay 36-inch diameter pipe in water depths of up to 3000 metres.

The tandem mooring system – used for the safe mooring of the bow of an export tanker to the stern or bow of a FPSO will be installed on one of MODEC's FPSO vessels in Ghana.

Picture: Impression of the trailing suction hopper dredger