Earlier this year, Damen Shipyards was contracted for four complete dredge packages to be installed in trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs) currently under construction in Mexico. The identical TSHDs will be fitted out with dredge packages including the trailing pipe, a dredge pump, and various hopper loading and discharging equipment.
The order follows earlier successful cooperation with the customer and dredge operator SEMAR. At present, the dredge packages are under construction at the Damen Dredging Equipment yard. The packages will be shipped to Mexico at the end of the year, to be installed on the locally built dredgers.
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Complete dredge package
At present, the four hopper dredgers are under construction at three different Mexican yards. The vessels have been optimised to receive a Damen dredge package. This package includes a 700 mm trailing pipe, designed to work at a maximum depth of -25 metres, plus a matching dredge pump.
The TSHDs are designed to be able to pump dredged material over the bow. For this, the dredge package includes a bow coupling unit. Further dredging gear included in the package delivery are overflows, jet water pumps and nozzles, and the required dredge monitoring instrumentation.
Mr Horacio Delgado Bravo, sales manager at Damen Shipyards, says: ‘The dredge packages are delivered to the long-time Damen customer SEMAR. They are the Mexican Navy, and in this role they are responsible for all maintenance dredging activities of all Mexican larger ports. As Mexico has quite a substantial coastline, the necessity to operate powerful dredgers is obvious. The current order follows the delivery of an array of stationary cutter suction dredgers in the previous years.’
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