Royal IHC has handed over the 3000-cubic-metre trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Mont Mandara to Cameroon’s Port Authority of Douala (PAD). The delivery completes the PAD fleet, following its acquisition of an IHC Beaver 50 cutter suction dredger and a DMC workboat in 2019.
The new TSHD is an IHC Easydredge from IHC’s standardised range of dredging vessels, which are ideal for common maintenance and land reclamation projects. The Mont Mandara offers flexibility as it can be customised to adapt to its dedicated working environment. Initially, it will be used to execute vital dredging work to maintain the access channel to the port of Douala-Bonabéri.
Thanks to the high level of cooperation between IHC and PAD, the TSHD was delivered extremely quickly following the effectiveness of the contract in March this year. The new vessel was constructed in Poland, and sea trials were completed in the Baltic Sea and off the Dutch coast, following delivery in the Netherlands.
In addition to the delivery of the ship, the Dutch shipbuilder will also supply a spare parts package, ancillary equipment and extensive training to support PAD’s technical staff.
