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Dredging | Mining | Offshore Autumn 2013 | E 3

InsightIHC Merwede

The pinnacle of dredgingUnique backhoe dredger designed for Panama CanalInnovative TSHD triplets target efficient Indian operationsNew IHC Packhorse® and IHC Supporter® class offshore vessels

2 IHC Merwede Insight | Autumn 2013 Autumn 2013 | IHC Merwede Insight 3

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P.4 News New vessels, orders and deliveries, as well

as new appointments at IHC Merwede P.12 VOX MÁXIMA and ATHENA:

dredgers play a key role down under Van Oord selects state-of-the-art dredging equipmenttoboosttheefficiencyofitsoperation P.16 ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA: backhoe dredger for Panama Canal IHCGlobalProductionhasengageditsexperience

andexpertiseforthisuniqueproject P.22 DCI DREDGE XIX – XX – XXI:

innovativeTSHDtripletsfor efficientoperationsinhighcurrents

Thelatestinalonglineofdredgingvesselsdestined toserveIndia’smaritimestructures P.28 Connectingwithcustomers: IHCServicePortalandIPMS IHCMerwedehasfurthersubstantiateditslife-cycle supportservicetohelpitscustomers’operations

P.32 IHC Packhorse® and IHCSupporter®class: innovativenewoffshoreproducts

Therecentlydeveloped,configurableandmodular IHC Packhorse®, and well-designed and ready-to-use IHCSupporter®classvessels P.38 Cuttersuctiondredgingtrainingin theUSA:backtowheretheCSD was invented AbriefhistoryofCSDsandthemodern-daysuccess ofTID’sCSDsimulator-basedtrainingintheUSA

P.42 On order What’s new in the IHC Merwede order book

P.43 Recently delivered New vessels delivered on schedule

IHC Merwede Insight Coordination: K. JansenCorporateCommunicationIHCMerwede

Production: RedInternationalCommunication,UK

Editorial committee:Y.vanBeek,S.C.Ooijens,H.J.Cornegé,R.Hendriks, K.Jansen,S.G.Mensonides,M.P.vanderSluijs,F.Vrooland,J.vanOverhagen,E.Put,N.Stam

The articles were published with the cooperation of:Van Oord, ACP and DCI

Cover: Van Oord’s ATHENA

IHC Merwede Insight is published by IHC Merwede.

Thearticlesappearinginthisjournalmaybereproducedinwholeorinpartontheconditionthat the source is quoted.

Editorial and correspondence address:IHCMerwede,POBox204,3360AESliedrecht,TheNetherlands.

Copyright: IHC MerwedeISSN:0166-5766

Formoreinformationaboutanyarticle,pleasecontactIHC Merwede.

WelcomeDear reader,

Welcome to the third issue of IHC Merwede Insight.Youwillalsofinda digital version available via the IHC Merwede website. In print or online, our aim is to inform you about the latest developments regarding IHCMerwede’s innovativevessels,advancedequipmentandlife-cycle supportindredging,miningandoffshoreoperationsworldwide.

ThiseditionhasbeenpublishedtocoincidewiththeEuroportexhibition,whichwillbeheldinRotterdamon5-8November2013topromotethecommon industry goal of “connecting themaritimeworld”.We’ll beembracing this themeon the IHCMerwedestand (number1314), sopleaseacceptthisinvitationtopresent,discussandshareinformationonourinnovativetechnologyattheevent.

Thereisabroadandinterestingmixoffeaturesinthisissue,nomoreso than an insight into two of IHC Merwede’s recently built dredging vesselsthatareworkingtogetherinAustralia.Thejumbo-sizedvessels– ATHENA and VOX MÁXIMA – have been assigned to a rather unusual projecttoprovidebeneficialharbourdevelopment.

The ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA also provides us with a unique story – inthiscaseaprofileofthedesign,buildandsuccessfulcommissioning of IHC Merwede’s first backhoe dredger, currently working on thePanama Canal. There were a number of important requirements that had to be addressed in the design of this vessel.

Continuing thedredging theme,we also take a look at the long andsuccessful relationship between the Dredging Corporation of India(DCI) and IHCMerwede, up to the recent delivery of three identicalnew vessels. The DCI DREDGE XIX, XX and XXI are additions to analreadyimpressivefleetandsomeoftheirfeatureshavebeenamplified so they can work in the high currents occurring in some of India’s rivers.

Switching to offshore, IHC Merwede has been working on modularand configurable offshore construction and platform supportvessels, while simultaneously building highly intricate ships. This has resultedintheIHCPackhorse®andIHCSupporter®classdesigns.

In the field of life-cycle support, we explore the undoubted successof a simulator-supported training sessionperformed in theUSA. Thisnotableeventhasalsobeenutilisedtobrieflyhighlightthehistoryofthehydraulicdredgerandthegreatenthusiasmoftheparticipatingtrainees.

Finally, we present a way of enabling IHC Merwede and its customers to stayconnectedinthemaritimeworld.TheIHCMerwedeServicePortal and IHC Planned Maintenance System are relieving the customers of much of the work surrounding maintenance tasks thanks to these online solutions.

Raymond HendriksManagerCorporateCommunication

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Dredging | Mining | OffshoreAutumn 2013 | E 3

Contents

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22InsightIHC Merwede 28


News

Indofin Group acquires majority stake Indofin Group, the investment company, owned by the DeBruinfamily,hasacquiredamajorityshareholdingof62% in IHC Merwede. Rabo Capital (10%) and IHC Merwedemanagement and staff (28%) are the other principalshareholders.

Indofin has obtained this significant stake in IHCMerwedebypartially takingouteachof itsco-shareholders. Indofin’sChairman, Cees de Bruin, says: “We have already been a shareholder of this great company for eight years and weareinfullsupportofthecurrentdirectionthatcontinues to pay off. We only choose to invest in companies with potential for long-term growth and are convinced of thehealthy future that lies ahead for IHC Merwede – where I wasonceemployedmyself.”

Rabo Capital has also taken this opportunity to announce that it has reached its strategic goal with IHC Merwede. “In 2005, after the split from IHC Caland,we continued to supportIHCMerwede,”explainsSipkoSchat,amemberofthe Management Board of Rabobank Nederland. “IHC Merwede is excelling inahighly competitivemarketplace,and toour greatsatisfaction,isachievinghealthyresults.However,itis time for us to hand over the baton. At the sametime,we willstayinvolvedinthecompanyasashareholderandlender.”

Indofin is a strategic investor that has a clear long-termvision. With this new shareholder structure, IHC Merwede hasmoreclouttostrengthenitspositioninboththehistoricdredging and offshoremarkets, as well as in the relativelynew renewable energy and wet mining markets.

Piling hammer rental agreements

IHC Hydrohammer® has announced that it will supply piling equipment for the offshore foundation installation of twoEuropeanoffshorewindfarmprojectstoBallastNedamOffshore.The long-term rental agreement between two leading companies in the offshore wind energymarket is for the delivery of anS-2000pilinghammerwithastrikepowerof2,000kJ.

IHC Hydrohammer designs, builds and supplies hydraulic piling hammers and is known throughout the world for its innovative approach. Since the inception of IHCHydrohammertechnology,ithasfoundapplicationsintheoffshoreindustryandcontinuestodevelopequipmentto meet the demand for alternative sources of energy, suchasoffshorewind.

The piling hammer will firstly be used by Ballast NedamOffshore to install 39 monopiles for EnBW’s Baltic 2 windfarm.ThisoffshoreprojectislocatedintheGermanExclusiveEconomic Zone (EEZ) of the Baltic Sea, 32km north of the islandofRügen.In2014,BallastNedamOffshorewilldesign,supply and install 80 monopile foundations for WPD’sButendiekproject,situated34kmwestoftheGermanNorthSeaislandofSylt.

IHC Hydrohammer’s Managing Director Jan-Albert Westerbeeksays:“IHCHydrohammeraimstobepositionedas the market leader in and a total supplier of piling services fortheoffshorewindmarket.Webelievethatthisagreementreinforces thedecision to invest heavily in our rental fleet,which we will continue to tailor to meet the needs of themarket.”

Ballast Nedam Offshore’s Commercial Manager Edwin vande Brug says: “Ballast Nedam is supporting offshore windby supplying reliable support structures to our customers. Reliabilityisthekeyissueinoffshoreoperationsandwearetherefore pleased with this agreement as IHC Hydrohammer will be an important factor in achieving optimal reliabilityduringtheinstallationphase.”

Asof1September2013,DirkPhilipshassucceededGovertHamers as the new CEO of IHC Merwede. In addition,the Board of Management has been expanded with theappointment of a new COO, namely the current Director of the company’s Dredging division, Bram Roelse.

Dirk Philips is a 48-year-old Belgian national, who hasgained extensive experience as a CEO and board memberof major international industrial companies, in which hehas ledsignificantprojects in theareasof strategy,growth,transformationandorganisationaldevelopment.Hehasalsoworked in themaritime and offshore sector, and thereforehas an in-depth knowledge of this sector.

Govert Hamers stepped back from his role on 1 October and joined the company’s Supervisory Board with immediateeffect. In addition to Dirk Philips and Dave Vander Heyde (CFO),BramRoelse(56)will jointheBoardofManagementafter12yearsofserviceatIHCMerwede,duringwhichtimehe has taken a high level of responsibility within the group’s businessactivities.Hehasalsogainedinvaluableexperiencein the military shipbuilding and oil and gas industries prior tojoiningthecompanyin2001.

New CEO and Board of Management

IHC Merwede has successfully launched Subsea 7’s 550tpipelayingvessel, SEVENWAVES,at its shipyard inKrimpenaan den IJssel, The Netherlands. The naming ceremony was carried out by Mrs Lucia Andrade, the ship’s godmother and Subsea7Brazil’sVicePresidentProjects&Operations.

TheSEVENWAVESisthefifthvesselcontractedbySubsea7 to IHC Merwede’s Offshore division. Subsea 7 selected IHCMerwede(amongothers)forthislatestvesselduetoitsefficiencyandreliabilityindeliveringallfourpreviousordersontimeandmeetingtherequiredlevelofquality.

IHCOffshore&MarinedesignedtheshipinclosecooperationwithSubsea7.Shewillhaveanoveralllengthof146metres,

a beam of 30 metres and a Class-2 dynamic positioning system. The vessel is equippedwith a vertical (tiltable) laysystem –with 550t top tension capacity – and twin ROVs.She is fittedwith twounder-deck storage carousels,with acapacityfor2,500tand1,500tofproductrespectively.Thelaytowercanoperateatanangleofupto10°andisfittedwith:twotensioners,eachwitha275tcapacity,whichcanbothberetractedclearofthefiringline;andtwowirecentralisers.

The keel-laying ceremony was held one month ahead of schedule and the delivery of the vessel will be as planned in the firsthalfof2014.Thispipelayingshipwillbeusedtodevelopdeep-sea oilfields of up to 2,500 metres off the coast of BrazilonbehalfofPetrobras.

Subsea 7’s fifth vessel launched

IHCMerwedehassecuredorderstothevalueof€125millionforawiderangeofnewcuttersuctiondredgers(CSDs)andrelatedequipmentinthefirsthalfof2013.Theagreementsincludeacustom-builtCSDandafurther12unitsthatwillbesuppliedbyIHC Beaver Dredgers.

The contract for the custom-built CSDhasbeenentrusted to IHC Merwede by Huta Marine Works for the design, engineering and construction of an innovative self-propelled vessel. The total installed power of the 122.5-metre dredger will be 23,545kW, and itwill feature a dredging depth of 28metres andacutterpowerof3,500kW.HutaMarineWorkswilldeploythe vessel on both sides of the Arabian Peninsula and it will bepurpose-builtforworkingintheconditionsassociatedwiththese waters.

Among the other 12 units sold by IHC Merwede this year are nine standard IHC Beaver® CSDs, two Delta Multi Craft (DMC) standard work boats and a booster station. IHC Merwede’s strategy is to deliver these vessels from stock, which enables it to meet the immediate demand from the market for short delivery times. Securing these latest salesagreementsonceagainconfirmsthevalidityofthisapproach.

Themajorityof IHCMerwede’sbusiness in thissectorcomesfrom a varied customer base – from private contractors to state-owned organisations – and this batch of orders has been no exception. The final destinations for the finishedvesselsspanfourcontinentsacrosstheglobe.


Backhoe dredger delivered to Panama

On 22 April 2013, IHC Merwede delivered the ALBERTO ALEMÁNZUBIETA toAutoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP)in Panama City. The formalities were handled by ACP’sContractingOfficer,MrsReginaDonelson,afterasuccessfultrialperiodof30continuousdaysonthePanamaCanal.

IHCGlobalProductionhascompletedthecontractwithACP for the design, construction and delivery of this innovative backhoe dredger (also see page 16). The company was awarded this project due to the reliable technology at its disposalandanexcellenttrackrecordfollowingthenotable delivery of a previous order for ACP – the cutter suctiondredger QUIBÍAN I.

The ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA has been designed and built usingthelatesttechnologicaldevelopments(alsoseepage16). Thevesselhasbeendeployedfortheexpansionandthenthe maintenanceoftheCanal.Shehasbeendevelopedtooperatein the Gaillard Cut and dredge blasted rock and heavy soil.

Bram Roelse, Managing Director of IHC Merwede’s Dredging division, says, “It’s been a complex project, and ACP and IHCMerwedehaveworkedtogethertoachieveasignificantstep forward in the use of advanced technology. Our life-cycle support programme includes the training of the ACP team to getthebestuseoutoftheequipment,maximiseprofits,andmaintainandservicethevesselduringitsoperatinglife.”

News

Unique project completed on scheduleIHC Merwede has delivered the CHANG JIANG KOU 02 to Yangtze Estuary Waterway Administration Bureau (YEWAB)inShanghai.Theimpressive12,000m3trailingsuctionhopperdredgerwashandedovertoYEWABDirector,MrLuShiMing.

IHCMerwede’scontractincludedthedesign,constructionanddeliveryof two identical vessels: theCHANG JIANGKOU02,builtwiththecompany’sChinesepartner’syard;andhersistervessel, the CHANG JIANG KOU 01, delivered in May last year.

Theefficientplanningandcontrolof theproductionprocessensured that the CHANG JIANG KOU 02 was delivered on schedule. This demonstrates the reliability of IHC Merwede anditspartnerinChinaonaninternationalscale.

Bothvessels–namedafterthemouthoftheYangtzeRiver–havebeenspecificallydesignedwiththehigh-currentvelocityandsoilpropertiesoftheRiverinmind.Thisisoneofthereasonswhy the vessels are equipped with the patented IHC Merwede Wild Dragon® draghead and have already successfully carried outmaintenancedredgingjobsoveradistanceof122km.

Fer Tummers,Managing Director of IHC Global Production,says: “This has proven to be a truly unique project for IHCMerwede. It is thefirsttime that thecompanyhashadtotalresponsibilityforbuildingsuchalargeandcomplexvesselinChina.Thefeedbackfromthecustomerhasbeenextremelypositive and this is a credit to the overall performance ofthe international team involved – spread over differentgeographicallocationsandtimezones.”

FPSO offloading systems for Brazilian marketIHC Merwede has signed two new contracts for the EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) delivery ofoffloading system packages for five FPSO vessels (floatingproduction storage and offloading). The first of these packageswillbeplacedontooneofMODEC’sFPSOvessels under its lease agreement with Petrobras. The others have been ordered for the conversion of four additional FPSO vessels for Petrobras by theBrazilian offshore shipbuilding company,EstaleiroEnseadadoParaguaçuSA(EEP).

Each FPSO offloading system package will be supplied by IHCMerwede’sOffshoredivisionandconsistofthefollowingextensiverangeofadvancedequipment:twooffloadinghosereelassemblies;twotandemmooringsystems;oneemergencyoffloading station; two hydraulic systems; and other ancillary equipment.

All five FPSO vessels will be capable of processing around150,000 barrels of oil per day. Theywill each have a total

storage capacity of around 1.6 million barrels and be moored indeepwaterfieldslocatedintheSantosBasin,offthecoastofBrazil.ThenewIHCMerwede-suppliedsystemswillallow theFPSOstooffloadapproximatelyonemillionbarrelsofoiltoshuttletankerswithina24-hourperiod.

“These two contracts provide further evidence that IHC Merwede is firmly established in the FPSO marketand offshore industry at large,” says René Raaijmakers, IHCOffshore’sCommercialDirector.

“We have enjoyed a long and successful relationshipwith MODEC,andthis issettocontinuethankstothereliability and efficiency of our production processes and products. In turn, this has been recognised by EEP, which has entrusted IHC Merwede with a valuable order that will provide an additional base for direct deliveries into theBrazilianmarket.”

€125 million of CSD orders secured

IHC Merwede has successfully named and launched the 5,500m3 trailing suction hopper dredger, DCI DREDGE XXI,in a ceremony on 8 August 2013 at the company’s shipyardin Kinderdijk, The Netherlands. It is building the innovativevessel for the Dredging Corporation of India Ltd (DCI). Theceremony was performed by Mrs R Mohanty, the spouse of DCI Chairman and Managing Director, Captain DK Mohanty.

The DCI DREDGE XXI is the third vessel in a series of three dredgers – including the DCI DREDGE XIX and DCI DREDGE XX – and is being constructed under the dual classes of Lloyd’s Register and Indian Register of Shipping. IHC Merwede haspreviouslysuppliedtenvesselstoDCI(alsoseepage22),havingbeenselectedasapreferredsupplierduetoitsefficiencyandreliabilityindeliveringpreviousordersontime.

The vessel will be deployed – along with the DCI DREDGE XIX andDCIDREDGEXX–forthemaintenance-dredgingprojectonthe Hooghly River, which is a tributary of the Ganges River in West Bengal. These new DCI vessels are specially designed for thistask,takingintoaccounttheHooghlyRiver’ssoilproperties,strong current and shallow depth.

These dredgers feature high levels of productivity, reliabilityand efficiency. The DCI DREDGE XIX and DCI DREDGE XX

havealreadybeensuccessfullyutilised inoperations,andthe DCIDREDGEXXIwillbedeliveredinthefirstquarterof2014.

“Infrastructure developments in India have increased the need to improve the navigability of rivers and ports, and this has in turn led to a greater requirement for dredging vessels and equipment,” says Bram Roelse, Managing Director of IHC Merwede’s Dredging division. “This class of dredgers will boost the performance of DCI to considerable heights and furtherstrengthenitspositionontheIndiancontinent.”

IHC Merwede and its Training Institute for Dredging (TID)concluded the India Dredging Experience on 4 September2013.Thiswasaspecialeventheldasawarm-upforthe4thAnnual Conference on Dredging in India, where a number of the company’s representatives also made presentations ontheirrespectivefieldsofexpertise.

During the event, IHC Merwede’s guests were invited to become acquainted with and experience the benefits of TID’s Cutter Simulator Training. They had the opportunity to try out a range of dredging scenarios on TID’s advanced cutterdredgersimulator.

This allowed them to develop a clear understanding of what thesimulatortraininghastooffercrewsondredgingvesselsandtheirrespectiveemployers.AnumberofTID’sexperiencedtrainersguidedtheparticipantsthroughadiverseprogrammeof activities, including basic dredging operations, slurrytransport,dredgerinstrumentationandoperations.

The 4th Annual Conference on Dredging in India was attendedbyIHCMerwede’sAreaSalesManager,KeesDerks. He presented a session titled, ‘Latest development in dredging technology’, in conjunction with Jorrit van Dijk, IHC Merwede’s Account Manager at the company’s regional headquarters in India. TID’sBobRijnders alsodiscussed the subject of ‘Dredge training and the benefits of using dredge simulators’.

In addition, IHC Merwede promoted the India DredgingCompetition at the Conference on 5-6 September at the ITC Maratha in Mumbai. Visitors were invited to compete against each other during a 20-minute challenge on the simulator forthe ‘Operatorof theDay’accolade,whichwasawardedtotheparticipantwhomadethemostoptimaluseofone full stroke of the spud carrier.


Two leading commercial offshore diving companies, IHC Hytech and Fathom Systems, have joined forces by entering into a new international distributor agreement that was signed on 7 May 2013. Under the terms of the agreement, IHC Hytech will distribute Fathom Systems’products in the commercial diving, hyperbaric tunnelling and medical equipment markets.

Based in Raamsdonksveer in The Netherlands, IHC Hytech designsandmanufactureshigh-qualityequipmentforoffshorediving and other related markets. Its advanced product portfolio ranges from small portable breathing gas panels, tocompleteturnkeyhyperbaricmulti-chambersystemsthatare supplied complete with environmental control units. The company is also renowned as IHC Merwede’s in-house centreof excellence foroffshore-diving technologyand theintegration of equipment into the group’s wide range ofstandard and custom-built vessels.

Fathom Systems is based near Aberdeen in Scotland, from whereitsuppliesengineeringsolutionsandrelatedproducts to the commercial diving, ROV and underwater engineering industries. It uses the latest proven technology to produce a range of high-quality reliable products, backed up with unrivalledcustomersupport,aswellasconsultancy,project engineeringandoperationalsupport.

The products detailed within the international distributoragreement are proprietary high-end systems, such as those for: diver monitoring and communications; heliumunscrambler and acoustic through-water communications;intelligent gas analysis; chamber shutdown control; transducer instrumentation; and dedicated control. These will initially be sold and made available for hire in the BeneluxcountriesandFrancebyIHCHytech,withexclusivity to generate new business within specified territories, depending on the market segment.

News

International distributor agreement signed

IHC Merwede participates in the 4th Annual Conference on Dredging in India

Successful subsea installation IHC Hydrohammer® has successfully used seawater – instead of oil–asadrivemechanismfortheoffshoreinstallationindustry.The company has developed and tested IHC Waterhammer® technology to prepare it for launch to the market.

This sustainable product development minimises potentialoilspillhazardsinthemarineenvironmentandpresentsnewopportunitiesfordeep-wateroffshorepiledrivingthatwillbebeneficial to the futuregrowthofoffshoreconstruction.TheS-90WIHCWaterhammerhasbeenutilisedinconjunctionwithSwiberOffshoreConstruction.

The installation contractor used the advanced pile-drivinghammer to install four foundationpileson thesubseaPLEM(pipeline end manifold) located approximately 210km offthe west coast of Mumbai, India. The Ø 1.1m piles were successfully driven into the seabed to highlight that both the S-90WandS-500WIHCWaterhammersarenowreadytobeusedintheoffshoreoilandgasindustry.

“TheIHCWaterhammersprovidethesamelevelofefficiencyas conventional IHC Hydrohammers and serve as anenvironmentally friendly alternative,” says Swiber’s GroupChief Executive Officer and President Francis Wong. “Welook forward to using these products again in the future.”

IHC Hydrohammer Managing Director Jan Albert Westerbeek says, “This successful test is a milestone in the development of offshore pile driving. IHC Hydrohammer has formed an excellentpartnershipwithSwiber,asbothcompaniessharea proactive approach towards innovation, and have taken thelead in product development and set the benchmark for the wholesector.”

DCI DREDGE XXI named and launched

Six pipelaying vessels on order for €1 billion


IHC Merwede and T-Rubber have announced that they have extended their Purchasing Cooperation Agreement for thesupply of rubber hoses. The signing was arranged to coincide withthevisitofadelegationfromT-RubbertoEuropeatthebeginningofJunefortheWodconXXcongressandexhibitionin Brussels.Thisrenewalisasignofbothparties’commitmentto continue developing their business in the dredging marketandfurtherexpandintoIHCMerwede’sothercoremarketsofminingandoffshore.

IHC Parts & Services is the dredging industry’s leading OEMsupplier of systems, components, parts and services for both new-buildvesselsandtheafter-salesmarketforexistingvessels.T-Rubber,whichisbasedatShenyanginThePeople’sRepublicofChina,startedproducingrubberin1938.Itnowprovidesawiderangeofspecialistrubberproductstotheaviation,railwayand dredging industries with a worldwide distribution andsupport network.

In 2009, IHC Parts & Services extended its product portfoliowiththeintroductionofrubberhosesforthedredgingmarket.These were purchased directly from T-Rubber and produced in China. Since then, the two companies have strengthenedtheir cooperationbymaking a significant level of investment in newproducts,machines, testing equipment, software andknowledge. As a result, the rubber hoses business has grown significantlyforbothparties.

IHCParts&Services’ManagingDirector,PieterPunt,says:“Thecombined strengthof IHCParts& Services andT-Rubberhascreated a unique offering for the dredgingmarket. Thismaybe evidenced by consistent double-digit growth over the past few years, continuous innovation and quality products thatare able to outperform the extremely demanding conditionsthat dredging operators have to face. The rubber hoses have anexcellentfitwithalloftheotherproductsandservicesthat weoffertothemarket.”

T-Rubber purchasing agreement extended

For half a century, IHC Merwede has had a strong history in thedesignandbuildof splithopper vessels.Asanexample,the Omnibarge is renowned for being robust, due to its well-balanceddesign.AftertheintroductionofthefirstvesselintheearlySixties,thissuccessstoryhasresultedinthedeliveryofmorethan150splithoppervesselsuptothepresentday.

The main focus of the new Omnibarge’s design lies in providing the customer with the lowest possible cost per tonne per transported mile. It combines the renowned robustness of this vessel with a new optimised hull shape. Detailed CFDanalysis and extensive basin trials at the Marin ResearchInstitute have resulted in a 15% improvement in fuelconsumption–comparedtoothermodernreferencevessels–while maintaining the durability of the hull shape.

IHC Merwede manufactures all of the hopper sealing, hydraulics, drives and automation in-house,which results ina completely integrateddesign. The latest generationof theOmnibarge also shares the optionof being equippedwith asuctiontubefordredgingwiththepreviousdesign.

New generation of the OmnibargeIHCMerwede’sOffshoredivisionhasbeensuccessfulinsecuringorders worth over €1 billion for the design, engineering and constructionofatotalofsixpipelayingvessels.Theagreementsfor these shipshavebeen signedwith Subsea7 and SeabrasSapura,thepartnershipbetweenSapuraKencanaandSeadrill.

IHC Merwede will supply three fully integrated pipelaying vessels to Seabras Sapura. These will include the completepipelayingspreads,whichcompriseofatwin-tensionertiltinglay tower, two below-deck baskets and support equipment for theloading,spoolingandroutingofproducts.

The integrated automation system, full electrical installationand electrical machinery package will also be designed and deliveredbyIHCMerwede.Inaddition,toassistSeabrasSapurainthetrainingofitsoffshorepersonnel,apipelayingsimulatorwillbeprovided.Whencombinedwiththenumberofexistingorders, theconfirmationof this latestagreementmeans thatIHCMerwedeisnowworkingonatotalofsixpipelayingvesselsforSeabrasSapura.

TheorderssecuredwithSubsea7,IHCMerwede’slong-standingcustomer,areforthreeshipsofidenticaldesigntotherecentlylaunchedSEVENWAVES.Withanoveralllengthof146metres,

abeamof30metresandaClass-2dynamicpositioningsystem, these vesselswill be equipped for transporting and installingflexible flowlines and umbilicals in water depths of up to 3,000 metres.

Like the existing order for the SEVEN WAVES, Subsea 7 isdelivering the pipelaying spreads for the three new vessels. TheconfirmationofthisagreementbringsthetotalnumberofvesselsorderedbySubsea7fromIHCMerwedetoeight.

All six 550-tonne vessels will be built at IHC Merwede’s extensive, state-of-the-art shipbuilding facilities in TheNetherlands. They will be delivered in the period between thefirsthalfof2015andthesecondhalfof2016.

“Thesixpipelayingvesselsfromthisorderaredestinedtojoinfour other ships – currently being worked on by IHC Merwede from a previous order last year – in Brazilian waters forPetrobras,” says IHCMerwede’s newCOOBramRoelse. “Weinvest in long-term partnerships with our customers to achieve thebestpossiblesolutions.Thisannouncementalsohighlightsthe success of a key part of IHC Merwede’s ongoing strategy to offercompletelyintegratedvesselstoitscustomers.”

News


Ichthys ProjectTheIchthysProjectconsistsof:thedevelopmentoftheIchthysgasfield,locatedintheBrowseBasin,220kmoffthecoastofWesternAustralia;theconstructionofaLNGplantinDarwin,where the gas will be refrigerated to be transported by large LNGcarriers;andanalmost900kmpipelinethatwillbringthegasfromtheoffshorefieldtotheportofDarwin.

Japan’s INPEX CORPORATION, a worldwide oil and gas explorationandproductioncompany, is theoperatorof theIchthys Project. It acquired the exploration permit for theIchthys field in 1998. In 2006, Total E&P Australia joinedtheventurewitha24%participating interest. Severalothercompanies are also involved in the project, including TokyoGas, Osaka Gas, Chubu Electric Power and Toho Gas.

GasfromtheIchthysfield–aswellasapproximately15%ofthe condensate – will be transported by pipeline to the LNG facility in Darwin. The greater part of the condensate (some 85%)will beprocessedoffshoreandexporteddirectly fromthefield.

The Ichthys LNG facility is currently being constructed at Blaydin PointontheMiddleArmpeninsulainDarwin.It isexpectedtoproduce8.4milliontonnesofLNGand1.6milliontonnesofLPG(bothpropaneandbutane)perannum,inadditiontoamaximumof 15,000 barrels of condensate per day. LargeLNG carrierswill export a vast amount of the gas to Japan and Taiwan.

Dredging worksIn order for the large LNG carriers – which require a water depthof13.5metres–toreachtheplantatBlaydinPoint,adedicated approach channel and a berthing area have to be dredged in Darwin Harbour. INPEX awarded the contract for this dredging work to Van Oord in June 2012.

Van Oord selected state-of-the-art dredging equipment for the project, including the ATHENA and VOXMÁXIMA, after consideringthefollowingfactors:thetype,compositionand amount of material to be dredged; the environmentalconsiderations; and the location of the designated spoil disposal area. The scope of the contract requires 14.6millionm3 of material to be dredged and transported to a spoil disposal site located in the Beagle Gulf, north of Darwin,approximately45kmfromthedredgesite.

A substantialpartof thematerial tobedredgedconsistsofhard soil types, including phyllite siltstone, sandstone and conglomeraterockformations.ThemostdifficultpartoftheprojecttoberemovedisapinnacleknownasWalkerShoal.The powerful ATHENA (figure 2), capable of dredging rock with strengths between 30-40MPa, has been scheduled

VOX MÁXIMA and ATHENA: dredgers play a key role in Australian LNG project

One of the global dredging industry’s current hotspots, Australia has seen an unprecedented number of dredgers and vessels working on maritime projects in recent years. Most of these activities are related to the oil and gas industry, and several IHC Merwede-built vessels are playing a vital role.

One example is the Ichthys LNG Project in Darwin, in the country’s Northern Territory. Dutch-based international dredging and marine

contractor Van Oord is currently carrying out dredging activities (figure 1) for the project and has deployed the flagships of both its cutter suction dredger (CSD) and trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) fleets. Both vessels were built by IHC Merwede at its Kinderdijk shipyard in The Netherlands: the ATHENA in 2011 (with 24,702kW total installed power); and the VOX MÁXIMA in 2009, which has a 31,387m3 hopper capacity.

Innovative vessels1. The Van Oord vessels are dredging a dedicated approach channel and berthing area in Darwin Harbour

Innovative vessels

to remove it. The material dredged by ATHENA is to be transported to the offshore disposal site. Without environmental restrictions, this would most likely have been done with the help of 2,000-3,000m3 hopper barges.

In order to protect the environment in Darwin Harbour, the impact of fine sedimentation and turbidity has to beminimised.Oneof themeasures takenon this project is thelimitationoftheoverflowtimeinthehopperto15minutes.

As a result, the use of 2,000-3,000m3 hopper barges would be highly inefficient.Therestrictionontheoverflowtimewouldlead to an extremely low loading degree in the hopperwithregards to the dry material.

Toboosttheefficiencyofthedredgingprocess,VanOordhas chosen to work with jumbo-sized TSHDs, such as the VOX MÁXIMA (figure 3),insteadofhopperbarges.Estimationsshow thenumberofshippingmovementsinthewholeprojectwillbe reducedbya factorof ten.Thisnotonlysubstantially lowersthenavigationalandsafetyrisks,butalsoreducestheduration ofthedredgingoperations,andasaresult,thetemporalextent of the impacts related to water quality, light and noise.

To load the TSHDs, the ATHENA makes use of a 600-metrefloating pipeline that is coupled to the bow coupling of the

To address potential environmental concerns, IHC MerwedeensuredthelubricationofmovingpartsonboardtheATHENAwas kept to a minimum. Components that don’t need to be greased have been applied wherever possible, and for the parts where lubrication is still necessary, a so-called “intelligent”lubricationsystem,suppliedbyTrustlube,hasbeeninstalled.

Themain principle of this system consists of using an exactdosage for each lubrication point. The Trustlube system ismemory controlled and the amount of lubricant applied at eachindividualpointisautomaticallyregistered.Trustlubecanbe used at the underwater part of the cutter ladder, e.g. at thesheaves,steeringinstallationandturninggland.

Other IHC Merwede-built vesselsThe ATHENA and VOX MÁXIMA are not the only IHC Merwede-built vessels to work on the Ichthys Project. Two 2,850m3

hopper barges, CORNELIS LELY and PIETER CALAND, built in2010 for Van Oord in China under IHC Merwede management, have also been deployed.

The two hopper barges have worked with some of Van Oord’s backhoedredgersonapartoftheprojectknownastheModuleOffloading Facility (MOF). TheMOF is located in the ElizabethRiver near Blaydin Point and was dredged to allow the modules

of the future gas plant to be brought by ship and offloaded on to the construction site. This dredging operation was oneofthefirsttobecarriedoutandwascompletedbytheendofJanuary 2013.

Another IHC Merwede dredger scheduled to work on the project is the 21,665m3 ROTTERDAM. This TSHDwasbuilt at the IHC Merwede shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, The Netherlands, in 2001 and has already successfully carried out many dredging tasks for Van Oord all over the world. In Darwin, she will take care of material, such as loose sand, that can be directly removed by means of trailing and brought to the disposal site.

Time scheduleThe entire dredging project is scheduled to be completedbyMarch 2014, butwill be suspendedduring this year’s dryseason. As an environmental measure, dredging operationswill only be carried out during the wet season, when there is already a certain level of turbidity caused by rainfall in Darwin Harbour and the impact of additional turbidity bythedredgingisexpectedtobeminimal.

hopper dredgers. The dredged material is then placed in the hopperthroughtheloadinginstallation.

ATHENAOneof theATHENA’smain advantages for this project is herhighcutterpower.Inaddition,thehighlysophisticateddredgerhasseveralotherbeneficialfeatures,especiallyforsafetyand environmentalconcerns,suchasherpneumaticallysuspendedaccommodation.

When dredging in hard material, CSDs suffer from heavyvibrations,whichnotonlyhaveanegativeimpactonthewatch crew, but alsomake sleeping onboard for the off-duty crew members virtually impossible. By suspending the 470-tonne accommodation,a“free-floating”spaceiscreated,providinga place where operators can fully concentrate on their work and completetheirshiftswithminimalphysicalfatigue.Furthermore, it creates a placewhere theoff-duty crewmembers can gettheir much-needed rest.

This results in a significant improvement to the efficiency of the dredging process, as well as enhanced levels of safety and comfort for operators. The need for regular crew changes and the subsequent transfers from one vessel to another are no longer required, and the crew are able to fully concentrate.


2. The powerful ATHENA has been scheduled to remove the pinnacle known as Walker Shoal 3. Van Oord has chosen to work with TSHDs such as the VOX MÁXIMA instead of hopper barges

ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA:powerful backhoe dredger for Panama Canal

Innovative vessels

Towards the end of 2012, a unique dredger ‘set sail’ from The Netherlands (figure 1). The vessel is named in honour of Mr Alberto Alemán Zubieta, the administrator and legal Autoridad del Canal de Panamá (ACP) representative, who retired in September 2012 after two successful terms in office. It is unique, because this is the first 12m3

pontoon-mounted backhoe dredger acquired by

ACP and also the first built by IHC Merwede within ACP’s programme [1].

In addition, she is the second high-tech dredging vessel that ACP has ordered from IHC Merwede within the past two years. The first one was the 12,000kW 85cm cutter suction dredger (CSD), QUIBIÁN I (figure 2), delivered in April 2011 [2].

1. The unique ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA is transported from The Netherlands to Panama

ThenewdredgerisbeingassignedtotheongoingextensionofthePanamaCanal.Aftercompletionoftheproject,scheduledfor2014and the100thanniversaryof theCanal, shewillbeassigned as one of ACP’s channel-maintenance vessels.

Dredging in the Panama CanalThe ACP applies some basic principles to dredging in the channel.Naturally,theseinfluencethedesignofanydredgingequipmentandoperations.Thefirstprincipleisthatdredging operations shouldn’t block or delay navigation through the Canal. This implies that dredgers must operate in parallel to the channel banks as much as possible (figures 2-3). For the ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA, the design had to account for

the implication that when one barge is being loaded to its side, the next barge could not be tied to the other side, but to the fore ship.

Another principle is that if a dredger suffers from an unexpected incident, she should always remain afloat, ready to be towed out of the navigation channel. Alternatively, it should at least be possible to neutralise the effects of the incident. For the QUIBIÁN I, this implied that the foreside ropes had to be fastened to the winch drums by breakable fasteners. This allows a rope that has been accidentally picked up by a passing ship to entirely wind off,ratherthandraggingthedredgerintothechannel[2].

The personnel at the ACP are passionate about their equipment. Consequently, it still successfully runs a pair of the oldest dredgers in the world, the RIALTOM CHRISTENSEN (a large 11.5m3 dipper dredger, vintage 1977) and the 9,000kW 70cmMINDI (to our knowledge the oldest operational CSD, built in 1943). This culture was reflected in the ALBERTO ALEMÁN’s general specification that required the hull to be designed for 30 years’ service without the structural elements cracking or breaking.

IHC Global ProductionIHC Merwede delegated the turnkey delivery and projectmanagement to IHC Global Production (IHC GP), which is

experienced in streamlining the many parties, components and elements that are involved in this special dredger. It was also an ideal opportunity to show that IHC GP could meet its backhoe dredger ambitions [1]. Indeed, many parties havecontributed to this dredger:• IHCOffshore&Marineorganisedthebasicnavalengineering.• Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam produced ANSYS strength calculations for the pontoon, hull girder and spud casing models, spud carrier and excavator foundation – designed for 30 years’ service.• MTI Holland used DODO, IHC Merwede’s well-known integrated programme of hydromechanics, multi-body dynamics and soil mechanics [3] to assess the dredger’s dynamic behaviour and ensure that she may catch up with


Innovative vessels

the required production figures, and that an unexpected incidentwillnotinfluencenavigationinthechannel.• Kundt Service GmbH built the Komatsu excavator from scratchandadapteditformarineapplications.• IHC Drives & Automation designed and delivered the electrical installation, from the main generators to the smallestlampsintheaccommodation(figures 4-6).• IHC Systems supplied its renowned excavator monitor (XPM®) with its safety provisions, such as pontoon protectionandslewandoutreachlimitation,whichprotect the excavator’smechanics. The XPM® is compatible with survey data provided by ACP’s standard survey systems (figure 7).• NMC shipyard – close to IHC Merwede’s premises in Kinderdijk–hasbuiltthepontoonandwasresponsiblefor the launch and commissioning of the total system.• And of course, the usual suppliers of hydraulic and thruster systems, HVAC installation, pumps and other subcomponents were also involved and managed by IHC GP.

Theresultofallpartiescomingtogetherwasasolid,reliableandintegrateddredger,appropriatelyadaptedtooperationsin the Panama Canal.

Remarkable featuresThe vessel’s hull is remarkable in terms of her dimensions, which seem unusually large and may be explained by twofactors. Firstly, ACP has planned to replace the current

KomatsuPC5500byanevenlargerPC8000inthefuture.With its break-out force of 1,450kN at 18 metres of depth, the latterwillrequiremorebuoyancythantheformer.

Secondly,with regard to channel traffic safety, the dredger is normallypartially jackedup from thewateronher three steel rope-operated spuds. Then, there is the conceivable risk that one of the spud ropes will break and cause a sudden imbalance at one side of the pontoon. In such cases – and particularly if the loaded bucket has been slewed above a barge, there is a risk that the pontoon will capsize, dragging itself and a loaded barge onto the bottom of the channel. This would be a huge and almost irremovable obstruction for the navigation of the Canal, not even to speak of the potential injuries andgriefinvolved.ThisiswhereDODOprovesitscapabilities(figure 8).

Thesimulationsresultedintheconfidencethatthepontoonhas the appropriate dimensions to prevent capsizing if the spud ropesbreakunexpectedly–evenat theworst loadingposition. Italsopredictedthespuds’capabilitytocopewiththeforces:ofdiggingandbreakingclayandrock;generatedby waves and swell; and caused by moored barges of 1,000-1,500m3.

The extensive and removable/replaceable fendering around the fore ship and both sides is also remarkable. This is to protect the hull against the thousands of impacts

made by those barges that are expected to be moored alongside the dredger during its lifetime. Triple-drum locally controlled barge-mooring winches have been located amidships at starboard and port side, assisted by four small single-drum winches on the main deck.

Not so visible – but no less important – are the provisions for encountering the harsh implications of excavating, breaking and ripping a mixture of blasted material and 20-tonneboulders,inadditiontodiesel-hydraulicoriginated noise, vibrations and impacts. The specification requires noise levels that allow for normal voice communication on thedredger,exceptformachineryspaceandworkshops.

Therefore, the accommodation forecastlewith its so-calledobservationroom(deckhouse)hasbeenplacedonvibrationdampers. And, barely visible at the surface, the foundation of the excavator has been totally enclosed in carefullycalculated, heavy rubber blocks. The backhoe dredger is of course also capable of digging loose and dense soils, as well as compact materials, but these will not generate asmanyvibrationsorothertechnicalissues.

Also not visible (however, see figure 1)aretherecess-mounted and hydraulically operated azimuth thrusters, intendedfor assisting the dredger during positioning at operationallocations.

Teaming up hardwareACP’ssafetyrequirementsimplyredundancyintheoperationand control of subsystems on board. These factors can be found in nearly every aspect of the design.

For example, the Komatsu PC5500 is a self-containedhydraulically driven, pedestal-mounted excavator formarineapplications.Itshydraulicpowerisprovidedbysixfixed/variableflowpumps,drivenbynotone,buttwoIMOTierII-compliant1,000kW diesel engines. An autonomous electro-hydraulic pack, powered by the generators in the pontoon, serves the emergency lifting of the excavator’s boom and stick at slowspeed. A second hydraulic system has been dimensioned to supply the three spud winches simultaneously, as well as the spudcarrier winch, the azimuth thrusters, windlasses, deckcranes,andbargemooringandshiftingwinches.Thehydraulicoilcanflowtothepontoonthroughahydraulicrotaryjoint.

An electrically driven hydraulic power pack has been installed inthepontoonfortheoperationofthehydraulicequipment in case the excavator’s engine is not running, or for theemergency control of the spuds (one by one), spudcarrier,windlasses and deck cranes.

All equipment can be controlled from the excavator’s cabin,including the spuds and the spudcarrier. Back-up control is alsoavailablefromacontrolconsoleintheobservationroom,exceptfortheexcavatoritself.

3. Free navigation implies that dredgers operate in parallel to the channel banks

2. ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA was preceded by another high-tech IHC Merwede dredger, the QUIBIÁN I 4. The 3x480VAC main switchboard in the engine room 5. The control console in the observation room…

6. …and one of its SCADA screen pages 7. The XPM® presents the excavator operating below the water, as well as safety limits


Principalcharacteristics ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA

Type Backhoe dredger

Owner AutoridaddelCanaldePanamá(ACP)

Classification Bureau Veritas

Lengthoverall(hull) 60.20m

Breadth, moulded 23.00m

Depth 5.10m

Draughtfloating/working 3.25/2.25mm

Spuddimensions(threeidentical) 37.50x2.00x2.00m

Spudcarriagestroke max.8.00m

Dredging depth [email protected]

BucketcontentsPC5500/PC8000 12/30m3

DiggingforcewithPC5500/PC8000 917kN@18mofdepth

DiggingforcewithPC8000 1450kN@18mofdepth

Total installed power 3,000kW

Dayaccommodation Ten people plus two single-berth cabins

References[1]“IHCMerwedeextendsproduct range: Backhoe dredgers andbackhoeautomation.”Ports and Dredging 176. IHC Merwede, Sliedrecht,TheNetherlands,2011.30-35.

[2]“QUIBIÁNI:ModerncuttersuctiondredgerforPanamaCanalAuthority.”Ports and Dredging 177.IHCMerwede,Sliedrecht,TheNetherlands,2011.12-19.

[3] “DODO, a reliable response to the challenges of dynamic behaviour”.Ports and Dredging 174.IHCMerwede,Sliedrecht,The Netherlands, 2010. 26-31.

The ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA has been fully prepared for the future installation of a Komatsu PC8000 or similarexcavator. This type of backhoe dredger’s hydraulic installation is electrically driven. Therefore, the pontoon already has been provided with engine rooms prepared for the installation of diesel-generator sets for powering the PC8000. The safety backups will of course also be maintainedandadaptedforthenewsituation.

SpudsThree spuds – one located in a spudcarrier along the forecastleinthebowcentrelineandtwofixedspudshalfwayalong the aft ship – provide sufficient bearing capacity andsupporttotheexcavator.Thespudsareofatotallyenclosedbox construction (figure 9) and are moved in the spud guidance supports with replaceable wear-reducing liner blocks. Jacking up the pontoon provides a stable work platformfortheexcavator.

The spuds can be hoisted and lowered simultaneously, each by its own single-drum winch. Every winch has a doublewire: one running to the top sheaves in the spuds; and the other to the bottom sheaves. A tensioner yokebetween the two prevents slack wires and subsequent burstsofforce.Themethodenablestheexertionofthesameforcesduringhoistingandlowering.

It is known that the usual drum-type brakes may block at high loads and cause severe damage, including the risk of winches breaking from their foundations. Therefore,controlled disc brakes have been installed instead. These can run in controlled slip mode, and in addition loosenthemselves if the pressure in the winch system becomes too high.

In order to reduce the wear of the steel spud wires, they are mounted well above the spuds’ lower mud-sticking end. They can be replaced through access via the spud guidance supports when the spuds are lifted. If necessary, this can be done by the spud emergency lifting system, which consists of a framework with jackingcylindersthatmustbeappliedtoeachspudoneby one (figure 10).

Trials and deliveryIn December 2012, the ACP’s dredging operators, engineers, electricians and maintenance personnel received their first equipment training. In the meantime, the dredgerwas tested in The Netherlands and proved to keep up with the required production levels. After that, she wasseafastened and transported to Panama, where she arrived in January 2013.

After arrival she had been ‘awoken’, as Project Manager Philip van den Broek expressed. In this phase, further

equipment and practical on-board training was conducted, including the operators’ training. Subsequently, after a successful trial period of 30 continuous days on the Panama Canal (figures 11-13), the shipwashandedover toACP, represented by Mrs Regina Donelson.

Thewholetrajectory,fromorderingthroughtoengineering,manufacturing, launch (figure 14), commissioning, trials, transportation and extended trials of this unique dredger, hadtakenonlytwoyearsandtwoweeks.This isanexample of IHC Merwede at its best.

11. After she had been ‘awoken’ in Panama, the ALBERTO ALEMÁN ZUBIETA…10. …and their emergency lifting device

9. The spuds… 12. ...gave a good taster of what…

14. Mrs Ana Matilde Alemán (left) – accompanied by her husband (right) and the current ACP administrator Mr Jorge Quijano and his wife – is the godmother of the dredger

13. …she can do on the Panama Canal8. The dredger’s design was verified by DODO for dynamic influences to prevent capsizing if a spud rope was to break

Innovative vessels


DCI originated from the former Indian Ministry of Transport (MOT) and is now one of the Public Sector Undertakings ofIndia in which the Government has gradually disinvested, and of which the shares are listed on national stock exchanges. The company, already residing in the top six of the world’sdredging contractors, has the ambition to invest further andultimatelybecomeamainglobalplayer[1].

Relationship between DCI and IHC MerwedeThe relationship between the predecessors of DCI and IHC Merwede originates back to 1926 and continued afterIndia’s independence in 1947. More than 50 dredgers havebeen delivered since then. During DCI’s early years, the Ministry ofTransportobtained IHCMerwede’s trailing suctionhopperdredgers(TSHDs)MOTDredgeIV,V,VIandVIII,ofwhichnot only the MOT DREDGE VIII (1977, IHC Gusto), renamed DCI DREDGE VIII, is still in service (figure 2), but also the DCI DREDGE VI.

Although DCI always maintains strict tender procedures for purchasing new equipment, IHC Merwede has succeeded in winning all TSHD tenders. It not only demonstrates IHCMerwede’s competitive strength, but alsoDCI’s vision inalwaysselectingthebestsolutiontofititsstrategy.

Qualityistheunitingfactorforbothcompaniesonanongoingbasis, both from a technical point of view and through the personal interaction between their respective employees.Theauthorofthisarticle,whowasinvolvedinthebuildingoftheDCIDREDGE IX in 1984, recallswith pleasure the tough,but pleasing technical discussions about the dredge control and instrumentation systems, during which he also becameimpressed by the use of the English language by Indian people.As the IHCMerwedeProjectManagerof thecurrent dredgers, Jan van Helden (figure 3) confirmed, these friendlyrelationshipscontinue.

DevelopmentsDCI haspurchased someof its TSHDson an individual basis,but twin vessels have mostly been built for the company, such as: the 4,500m3 DCI DREDGE XII and XIV in 1990-91; and the 7,400m3 DCI DREDGE XVI and XVII in 2001, which were almost copies of the successful DCI DREDGE XV (1999). The remainder of this article will feature modernTSHD triplets with hopper capacities of 5,500m3. Of course, throughout this longperiodof cooperation, the vessels haveundertaken an evolution. This is demonstrated with thehelp of the General Arrangement Plans (GAP) of successive vessels in figure 4.

The upper GAP portrays the DCI DREDGE IX (figure 5),illustratingatraditionalhullshapeandlargeaccommodation,

The mission of the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) is to provide integrated dredging and related marine services for the advancement of India’s national and international maritime ambitions. Its operations include beach nourishment, the maintenance of rivers and channels, land reclamation, inland dredging and environmental protection.

The company was established in 1976 to provide dredging services to the country’s main ports

and became a pioneer organisation in the field of dredging and maritime development. Today, DCI is fully equipped to offer the complete range of dredging and related services to customers in India and further afield. With its head office situated on the east coast at Visakhapatnam, DCI helps to ensure the continuous availability of the desired depths in the shipping channels of the major and minor ports suited to all related maritime organisations, including the Indian Navy and fisheries.

DCI DREDGE XIX – XX – XXI:innovative TSHD triplets for efficient operations in high currents

1. The DCI DREDGE XX’s hydromechanical profile barely causes disturbance of the sea surface

Innovative vessels


3. IHC Merwede and DCI representatives, the godmother of the DCI DREDGE XX and other guests of honour after the launch. Project Manager Jan van Helden is the fourth from left

4. The evolution of DCI’s trailing suction hopper dredgers, illustrated by viz. DCI DREDGE IX, XII, XVI and XIX

2. The DCI DREDGE VIII, built by IHC Merwede in 1977, is still in full service

Innovative vessels

located at the aft ship, with a separate pump/engine room in the fore ship. The absence of a bow coupling and rainbow pipe reveals that the vessel has been built before the famous large reclamation works, starting with Check Lap Kok in theNineties.Thevessel canfillher4,500m3 hopper from depths of25metresatadraughtof7.5metres.DCIvesselsareusuallyoperatedbyacrewof35to45personnel.

ThesecondfigurerepresentstheDCIDREDGEXIIandXIVtwins(figure 6). These shallow-draught (6.5m) TSHDswere amongthefirstwithadeckhouseontheforeship,allowingthedredgepumpstobedrivendirectlybythemainengines. Inaddition,a self-emptying system for pumping ashore has emerged. Simultaneously, the vessels’ width has increased from 18.2to21metres inordertogainthe4,500m3 hopper capacity at their shallow draught.

About12yearsago,thefleetwassupplementedbythelargerand compactly built 7,400m3 DCI DREDGE XV, XVI and XVII, represented in the thirdfigure.Thesevessels (figure 7)areascaled-up and modernised version of the DCI DREDGE XII and XIV,makingthemthelargestinthefleet.Theycanloadsoilfromdepthsof25metres.

The lowest GAP portrays the current triplets (figure 1) and a new trend becomes apparent. Indeed, some proven and DCI-appreciatedelementshavebeenmaintained,forexamplethe nozzles for the controllable pitch propellers – providinghigh thrust at dredging and sailing speeds – the double rows of

reliable conical bottom valves and adjustable cylindricaloverflow duct. This is also true for the accommodation onthe fore ship, the directly driven dredge pumps, the twin bow thrustersandtherainbownozzle/bowcoupling.

However, what catches the eye is the hull shape with the large bulbous bow and the sophisticated twin gondola aft ship.Furthermore, a smaller accommodation, fixed deck cranesinsteadofaheavytravellingdeckcraneandfinallytheshallowdraught are visible. In summary, they are three modern and competitivevessels.

Equal, but more equal than others…It is DCI’s responsibility to provide capacity for maintenance dredging that retains the required depths at various ports alongthe7,500kilometresofIndia’scoastline.Onechallengingaspect of this responsibility is the Hooghly River, which is the entrance to an economically important hinterland, including: the largeportofWestBengal’scapitalKolkata(Calcutta);and the important oil and petrochemicals transfer port of Haldia, located further south.

The Hooghly River, which is a branch of India’s holy Ganges River, flows into the Gulf of Bengal and is characterised bylarge tidal differences of about six metres and subsequenthighcurrents,sometimesreachingaspeedofsevenknots.TheRiveralsosuffersfromlargeannualamountsofsedimentation (figure 8),whichcontinuouslythreatentheaccesstotheports.

TomaintainasufficientnavigationdepthontheRiver,DCIusedto employ much of its TSHD capacity (figure 9). Therefore,although the DCI DREDGE XIX, XX and XXI have been designed as typical general-purpose TSHDs, some features have beenamplifiedtoperformmoreefficientdredgingoperationsontheHooghly River.

Redundancy, reliability, versatility and autonomyDCI appreciates vessels to be equipped with redundant systems, so that they can keep working, even in remote areas and if a component fails unexpectedly or requires repair.Consequently, the DCI DREDGE XIX and her sisters again boast two suction pipes, contrary to the current tendencytowards one suction pipe. In addition, the suction pipes can be used as stationary suction pipes with the help of two self-freeing stationary suction mouths, supplied with jet-waternozzles.

For the sake of DCI’s design principles, the twin controllable-pitch propellers in fixed nozzles and twin fishtail-type rudders are maintained, as well as the directly driven high-efficiency dredge pumps. These can provide sufficientsuctionforceontheirown,butalsopowershoredischarging,either individually or in series. The redundancy principle has also been applied to various components within the vessel, which are identical and exchangeable. In some cases, simply altering the position of a valve manifold completelytransfersthefunctionofonepumpintoanother.

Another example is the suction pipe position measurementthat relies on three physically independent principles: angle measurement; wire-length measurement; and pneumaticbubble points.

TocomplywithDCI’srequirementsforversatility,thedredgershave been equipped with a soil laboratory and a towed side-scan sonar to measure production – which is also a redundantprovision to thedredge trackpresentation system (DTPS). The installeddegassing systemand thebowcoupling arrangement, aswell as the self-emptying facilities, highlight DCI’s vision that the vessels are designed for multipledredging operations. They can even carry their own floating IHCMerwede-madeshorepipelineofca.350metresondeck.

Autonomy requirements implicate that the current triplets have been designed to always carry sufficient fuel, food andprovisionsforoperationslastinguptoamonth.Anexampleisthe freshwater generator, backed up by a very large technical anddomesticfreshwatertank.

Propulsion power, hull shape and suction pipesThe three sisters are very powerful so that they can maintain the groundspeed of two knots – commonly needed for dredging with twosuctionpipes–while trailing in thedesigncurrentsoffiveknots(figure 10).Installingbrutepower,however,doesnotovercomehighcurrentvelocities,tidalboresandshallowdepths.Thereforestudieswereconductedtoaspecificshallow

5. DCI DREDGE IX 7. …as is the DCI DREDGE XVI

6. DCI DREDGE XIV is a twin…



draught-suitable, modern high-speed underwater hull with a recordhighblockcoefficient.

These studies resulted in a bulbous bow design and a modern twin gondola aft ship shape for low resistance at shallow watersandthepreventionofhighbowwaves.Another issueprocessed in the study was the intended compliance to the IMO-supported DR68 guidelines, allowing for a dredgingfreeboard at only 1/3, and making dredging operationsconsiderably safer by specifying the conditions for thatfreeboard.AsDR68 isnot yet implemented in India,DCI can operate the vessels at the international freeboard of 5.90metresandat6.50metres,whichisinaccordancewitha5/8 reduced freeboardduringdredgingoperations in accordance withtheregulationsoftheIndianDirectorateofShipping.

Without elaborating on this issue, the theories were tested on scale models at the famous Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN). Of course, the proof of the pudding was in the eating. It is demonstrated in figure 1, which shows the DCI DREDGE XIX during sea trials. The calm sea profileisbarelydisturbedbythevessel’smovements,althoughher power potential is clearly visible during sailing and trailing (figure 10).

In addition, CFD studies have been conducted to investigatetheresistanceofthesuctionpipesandreduceunwantedupliftor down force at high currents. These have also resulted in streamlining measures for this purpose.

Principal characteristics DCI Dredge XIX, XX and XXI

Type Trailingsuctionhopperdredger(TSHD)

Owner DredgingCorporationofIndiaLtd

Classification LloydsRegisterofShipping(LRS)IndianRegisterofShipping(IRS)

Lengthoverall(hull) 114.00m

Breadth, moulded 21.30m

DraughtatInternationalFreeboard 5.90m

DraughtatDredgingMark(5/8freeboard) 6.50m

Hopper capacity 5,500m3

Deadweightalltoldatinternationalmark 8,650t

Dredging depth 25m

Suctionpipediameter 2x700mm

Total installed power 9,294kW

Trial speed, loaded 14.1knots

Accommodation 35people

References[1]DCIwebsite:http://dredge-india.nic.in

Control and automationThe vessels house modern control technologies. The bow thrusters and jet pumps are electrically driven, with thelattercontrolledbyvariablefrequencydrives(vfd).Thediesel engines and CPP are electronically controlled. The dredging control and automation system applies SCADA touchscreens. Redundant network communications exchange data between the Dredge Control System (DCS) and the very complete modern navigation, nautical and safetyequipment, including the electronic chart display and informationsystem(ECDIS)andradiotidalmeasurement-backed Dredged Track Presentation System (DTPS). A pipe operator canmanagethedredginginstallationsfromadedicatedcontrolconsole (figures 11-12).

Training and supportA dedicated training programme for the crew was included in the contract and implemented practically through aTIDEquipmentTraining course (seepage38of this issue)that was conducted at IHC Merwede’s shipyards and/ormain suppliers’ premises. Boarding the first vessel, the crew demonstrated their enthusiasm about the amount of available space for repair and maintenance around many components – without knowing the issues that IHCMerwedeengineershad,toneatlyarrangethespaghetti junction of ducts, pipelines and cables interconnecting all of the equipment.

The acquired competences will be refined and rehearsedin practice. This will involve IHC Merwede training officersspending some time on board the vessels and assisting the crewintheirdailyroutines.

The IHC Regional Office (RIO) inMumbai has been involvedduring the building and commissioning of the vessels in The NetherlandsandiscontinuingtosupportDCIduringtheserviceandwarrantyperiod,aswellasthesubsequentoperationallifeof the vessels.

Innovative vessels

9. DCI has to employ a great deal of its capacity to maintain the Hoogly River8. Overview of the Hoogly River with Kolkata (Calcutta) in the North (source:GoogleMaps)

8. Overview of the Hoogly River with Kolkata (Calcutta) in the North (source:GoogleMaps)

10. The three sisters are very powerful to maintain groundspeed during dredging with two suction pipes in currents of five knots

11. Compare the DCI DREDGE XVI’s dredging control desk, suitable for one suction pipe a piece, and assisted by a separate hydraulics control console…

12. …to the integrated single console of the DCI XIX, including all functionality for two dredging installations

Life-cycle support

To substantiate this concept, they can draw on a treasurechestofknowledge,dataandexperience,andhavedeveloped several products and services, which can be of invaluable assistance to dredging and maritime contractors. Two ofthese are introduced below: the IHC Service Portal and the IHCPlannedMaintenanceSystem(IPMS).

Both of these services are founded on a common basis. IHC Merwede as a system integrator on the day of delivery of, for example, a cutter suction dredger (CSD), trailingsuction hopper dredger (TSHD), or diving support vessel(DSV)hasalsoacompleteoverviewofall relevantOEMdata (figures 1-2). This means that the arrangement drawings, parts lists, technical data, and operational and technicalmanuals – as well as manufacturer schedules for periodical maintenance – have been collated and digitalised.

So, as well as the now familiar crates – packed full of therelevanthard-copydocumentation–deliveredonboardeachnew vessel, all of the data is also available in a universal digital format. This is true, not only for products from IHC Merwede’s shipyards and specialist centres, such as dredge pumps, hydraulic installationsandcontrolsystems,butalsofordieselengines, propulsion installations, generators, HVAC, electricalinstallations,andeverysubsystemandcomponentonboard.

The other basic fact underlying both systems is that parts and componentsinstalledinafinishedvesselhavebeenregisteredon IHC Merwede’s ERP system. These can include specificdata on the make, type, serial and version numbers, typical dimensions, or whatever decisive parameter that is available. It isalsovitalthatthisdatabaseandthecomponentversion/replacement management are maintained on a daily basis.

TheinnovationthatmadethedevelopmentoftheIHCServicePortalandIPMSpossibleisthemanaged,securedandremotelyaccessiblelinkbetweenthedigitalisedvessel-specificandERPdata (figure 3). It helps the customer’s team at operational,technical and commercial levels to find the technical data,updates,availability,pricesandleadtimesforcomponents.

Connecting with customers: IHC Service Portal and IHC Planned Maintenance System

IHC Merwede personnel believe that a long-term continuous interaction between IHC Merwede and its customers during the phases of design, build, operation and maintenance will increase the value of customers’ vessels, equipment and operations. They call it “life-cycle support” (LCS) and claim that

this support is not just part of the package, but it is their commitment to IHC Merwede’s valued customers. They intend to be there for customers – at any time and place – through the equipment’s entire life cycle.

Introduction

2. All OEM data of an IHC Merwede-built vessel is available on the day of delivery – which is day one of her operational life

3. Both the IHC Service Portal and IPMS benefit from the electronic disclosure and combination of data

1. The IHC Service Portal is an integrated part of the delivery of IHC Beaver® 65DDSP dredgers – and her sister vessels


InthecaseoftheIHCServicePortal,onlineorderingispossible,whichpreventstransitionerrorsandfacilitatesafasterdeliverytime and order statusmonitoring.With regard to the IPMS,whenitisinoperation,datacanbesynchronisedbetweenthevesselandthecustomer’s technicaldepartment. IPMSservesthe secured, structured and scheduled guidance of maintenance tasks.Thesystemsarehighlightedmorespecificallybelow.

Untilnow,thedevelopmentshavefocussedmoreondredgingthan offshore vessels. The IHC Service Portal is alreadyincluded with the delivery of every IHC Beaver® dredger (figure 1),whereastheIPMSiscurrentlyprovingitsworthwithcustom-built TSHDs. This is not as strange as itmight seem. IHCMerwederepeatedlydrawsfromitsexperienceinbuildingdredgingvesselsandequipment toproducebetterandmorereliableoffshorevesselsandequipment.Thiswillalsooccurinthis instance.

IHC Service PortalTheIHCServicePortalisacustomisedonlineplatformtosupport dredgingandoffshoreoperations.Itprovidessuperintendents,vesselcrewandpurchaseofficerswithasingledigitalwindowtoallofthespecificvesselswithintheowner’sfleet.Secureaccessis obtained from a PC or tablet by a password (figures 4-5).

The IHC Service Portal supports the planning and implementation of maintenance by providing the relevant data on systems and components, and enabling the more efficient purchasing of parts. The system allows users to consult,forexample:• as-builtandas-maintainedvesselconfigurations•manuals,drawingsandcertificates• parts lists• real-timepricingandavailability• otherfleetinformation.

The whole system contributes to a lean and mean method of processing spare parts – without transition or communication failures. After login, the person who hasdetected a specific maintenance need for a particularsystem on board a vessel, can zoom in on that system and easily search for the technical documentation (figure 6),including the manuals, drawings and parts lists. After consulting the data and identifying the particular parts that need to be replaced, their availability, price and lead timecanbeimmediatelyassessed(figure 7).

A sequence of mouse clicks transfers an order to IHC Merwede, whereitisautomaticallylinkedtothecorrectmanufacturingdata, delivery address etc. stored in the ERP system.A firsthuman check for mistakes is conducted, after which the orderisautomaticallyconfirmedandreleasedforprocessing.No further information and/or communication is requiredand the whole process starts immediately. If it concerns complexcomponents,thebuyermaythendecidetoreceive a quotation or discuss the issue further, before placing an order.

The process ensures the best possible delivery time of thecorrect goods at competitive prices to the correct locationworldwide. In particular, when customers have a spare parts availability agreement, the lead times now differconsiderably from before. Once ordered, the purchaser can track online the order status, any changes to that status and ordering history.

The value of the IHC Service Portal to customers may be demonstrated by the fact that the first year of its existence has seen the processing of hundreds of orders. Theportalissubjecttothecontinuousdevelopmentofusefuladditionswithregardtomaintenance,productinformationandtraining. It can be accessed at www.ihcserviceportal.com.

IHC Planned Maintenance SystemAt the current time, it is common knowledge that plannedpreventivemaintenanceoutperformscorrectivemaintenanceby some distance. The prevention of failures ensuresconsiderably lower costs and downtime than reacting tomalfunctioning or broken equipment (figures 8-9). In otherwords, the use of a planned maintenance programme as part of the normal service routine increases uptime and reduces the total maintenance and repair costs. In addition, it is a crucialsteptowardsconditionandrisk-basedmaintenance.

Operators of dredging and offshore vessels know of thisphenomenon from their previous experiences. Majorcontractors already schedule planned maintenance and others are gradually following suit.

However,thelatterperceivetheset-upofastructuredsystemfor planned maintenance as a massive undertaking – the equivalent of reinventing thewheel. This iswhen the IPMScomes to the rescue. The structured vessel data collection– that is completely filled on the first day of a vessel’s operational life (as described in the introduction) – is thebasis for effective maintenance management. It is usuallyinstalled on board as a stand-alone system, but it also provides synchronisation between the vessel and fleetmanagement.

On the other hand, companies that already utilise their own planned management programme may buy an IPMSversion that provides data in an agreed exchange format. Users can access the IPMS – installed on their own secure server – by a valid login for a specific vessel, and thenmay benefit from the combined information on equipmentconfiguration, planned maintenance tasks, spare parts anddocumentation that had already been engineered at thebuilding stage.

The IPMS is used under the responsibility of fleet management and the crew on board the vessel for maintenance planning, reporting, stock keeping and as a source of information, such as manuals, drawings and diagrams. It provides an insight on pending maintenance and upcoming jobs, the required spare parts and other information on theequipment. The equipment and maintenance manuals are easily accessible. The IPMS has been set up so that new equipment can be easily added and adjustments can be made by the crew or the technical department – depending on user rights.

Amaintenance history is built during the utilisation of the IPMS.This informationcanbeusedforanalysesofthetimebetweenchangingcomponents(reliability)aswellastrackinghours spent on maintenance tasks (availability) and used parts.Withthehelpofthishistory–whichmaybeextracted according to several parameters – the costs and components required for future maintenance can be predicted with greatercertainty.Thebenefitsofthisphenomenonneednoexplanation(figure 10).

ConclusionWith the development of the IHC Service Portal and theIPMS, IHC Merwede has further substantiated its life-cyclesupport service as a useful approach to help its customers in perfecting their operations, or at least relieve themfrom any concerns they may have about maintenance and spare parts. The effective disclosure and combinationof information already available proves to be the key forsuccessful services like this and how IHC Merwede keeps in touch with customers.

5. The home page with login provisions 9. …reacting to malfunctioning or broken equipment…

10. …which is exactly what the IPMS was designed for7. …immediate access to pricing and availability figures8. Prevention of failures – supported by 24/7 access to specific documentation – causes considerably fewer costs and downtime than…

4. Information on the entire fleet is available on a tablet

6. Consulting technical documentation and…

Life-cycle support



IHC Packhorse® and IHC Supporter® class

Innovative vessels

In the cutter suction dredger (CSD) market, IHC Merwede is able to offer every conceivable type of dredger, from the smallest standard configurable IHC Beaver® dredger to such standard market-specific vessels as the IHC 8527MP® and

custom-built 27,000kW jumbos, such as the J.F.J. DE NUL, AMBIORIX and ARTEMIS. The CSD concept is certainly appreciated by the various parties in this market, each with their own purposes and operations.

IHC Merwede’s Offshore division introduces some innovative new products

A similar concept has been developed for trailing suctionhopper dredgers, with the appearance of the ready-to-use standard Easydredge™ and the modular and configurable IHC Beagle®, along with the well-known custom-built vessels of up to 30,000m3, such as the VOX MÁXIMA and CONGO RIVER.

Until recently, IHC Merwede seemed to restrict itself inthe offshore market to the custom-built highly specialist one-offs, such as: the Subsea 7 cablelaying, pipelaying and diving support vessels; the heavy lifter OLEG STRASHNOV [1];andthe550-tonnepipelayingvessels forSapuraKencana/Seadrill. However, as the company was building one-offs,it simultaneously developed the same triple concept [2,3] ofcost-effectivestandardvessels(figure 2)plusconfigurableand modular mid-classers (figure 3)andintricatecustom-builtvessels for theworldofoffshoreoilandgas,andrenewables(figure 4).

Through these developments, IHC Merwede has resumed with itsqualitiesofalmostforgottendayswhenitwasacontributory toIHCCaland,togetherwithsuchoffshorespecialistsasGustoandSBM.However,itcamebackwitharejuvenatedandfreshspirit,andhugely raised levelsof technologyandexperience.This may be demonstrated by the recently developed and

ready-to-build IHC Packhorse® and IHC Supporter® classvessels, whereas the IHC Workhorse® class is in the making.

Fitting in its marketIn doing so, IHC Merwede’s Offshore division can serve itssteadily growing number of customers with products for maritime contractors and charterers, owners who operatedurable mission-dedicated vessels and others who provide eitherparticularmissions,vessels,modularmissionequipmentor both vessels and equipment. The spectre includes:• custom-built offshore construction vessels (OCV): for field development (FD) and subsea inspection, repair and maintenancevessels(IRM), includingdivingsupportvessels (DSV), pipelaying and cablelaying vessels (PLV, CLV), wind farminstallationvessels,wellinterventionvesselsandsoon• the IHCSupporter®class:configurableandmodularvessels of standard breadths, combined with several modular types ofmission-dedicatedequipmentthatcanfulfilawiderange ofFDand IRMmissions.The IHCSupporter®classcanalso beequippedwithflexiblemodularsinglemission-dedicated equipment,exchangeableagainstlowcapex(figure 1)• theIHCPackhorse®Maxi:awell-designedandready-to-use supply/supporter vessel, that can either be provided with

modular mission equipment or act as a straight platform supplyvessel.TheSPS-compliantPSV,IHCPackhorse®Maxi, can for example serve ROV support and IRM operations perfectly when retrofitted with portable dive spreads and variouscraneoptions• theIHCPackhorse®:generalpurposeOSV/PSV,withherlarge cargodeckareaandflexiblecargotankarrangement,offering thebenefitofahighrateofcargovolumetotonnage• the IHC Workhorse® class: DPII anchor handling towing supplyvessel,withveryrespectablebollardpull,isstillunder development, but will appear soon to address the future needsoftheoffshoreindustry.

IHC Merwede’s value is in: integrating either customised or ‘instant’vesselswithtailor-madeor‘instant’missionequipment; applying integrated building methods; and offering thepossibility to build vessels worldwide. The Dutch yards will almost certainlybeutilisedforcomplexcustom-builtvessels,butpartner shipyardsmaybeusedinSingapore,IndonesiaorBrazil,close to these markets’ centres of gravity. A customer’s requirement foroneofitsnationalshipyardscanalsobeaccommodated.Inaddition, themodular technology of the vessels andmission equipmentallows forvariableproportionsof localcontent to suittherequirementsofcustomersandflagstates.

The IHC Merwede Offshore division has been organised in three cross-communicative Product Market Combinations(PMCs)(figure 5):• Service&Supportvessels,mainlyservingthegeneralneeds of the offshore market, such as anchor handling tugs, PSVs,emergencyresponserescuevessels,workmaintenance vessels etc. The PMC is located in Singapore – aka the ‘HoustonoftheEast’• Standard Offshore Vessels, serving the flexible and versatile IHC Supporter® classmarket and aimed at being built worldwide• Custom Built one-offs for the subsea oil and gas, and renewablesmarkets,utilisingin-housebuildingexpertiseand collaborativeengineeringtothemaximum.

Regardlessoftheareasalesmanagers(throughwhichpotentialcustomers enter), the PMC responsible, the building yard and proportion of local content, the building process willalways be supervised by IHC Merwede’s project managers to ensure a high level of quality. So, either in the IHC Workhorse®, IHC Packhorse®, IHC Supporter® class andcustom-built classes, the smart value engineering, design for manufacturing and dedicated production processes alwaysensure competitive price levels, lead times and delivery on

1. Example of a 28-metre modular multipurpose OCV in the IHC Supporter® class

Innovative vessels

schedule.TheadvancedmissionequipmentissuperblytiedintoIHC Merwede’s integrated systems and mission control, which together generate outstanding customer value to these truly innovativevessels.

IHC Packhorse® class highlightsThe IHC Packhorse® range extends IHC Merwede’s productportfolio into the volume market, while continuing to be adependablepartnerforspecialistoffshoreoperators.TheAsiaPacificregionisamajorinternationalmaritimeoilandgashub,andholdsmuchpotential for IHCMerwede’sextensiverange ofinnovativevesselsandadvancedequipment.ThereforetheaimoftheIHCPackhorse®istoboostthelevelofcooperationbetween IHC Merwede and selected Asian partner yards in order tooffer IHCMerwedequalitystandardvesselsatAsianprices. However, the IHC Packhorse® can be built and delivered within any IHC Merwede market and so it is being marketed on a global basis.

In its pure-play PSV form, the IHC Packhorse® represents a vessel that has been optimised through discussions withoperators and charter companies to meet the needs of deep-drilling and deep-water support. Its main features are a largeworkingdeck,afuel-efficienthullform,optimisedpowerdistributionandaflexibletankconfiguration.

ThesameplatformisusedfortheIHCPackhorse®Maxi,whichhasdual-stabilitybooksforoperationasanon-SPSPSVatdeeperdraught.Ithasalsobeendesignedfortheeasyretrofittingofahelideck and is pre-strengthened to accommodate a 100-tonne heave compensated crane. The large deck can carry various

mission spreads, including diving support, ROV operationand cablelaying, with portable equipment designed and manufacturedbyIHCMerwedeorasspecifiedbythecustomer.

TheIHCPackhorse®utilisesalow-costhighlyefficientsolutionfor thepowerdistributionsystemdevelopedby IHCDrives&Automation. Portable dive systems and cablelay solutionsare available for the IHC Packhorse® Maxi from two of IHC Merwede’s other competence centres, IHC Hytech and IHCEngineeringBusiness.Thisensurestheefficientintegrationofthemissionequipmentintothevessel’soperatingsystems.

IHC Supporter® class principlesTheIHCSupporter®classmodularandmulti-purposeoffshoresupport and construction vessels are based on a few simpleideas.Themostimportantoneistherecognitionthatoffshorecontracting companies earn their money with the missionequipment, not with the vessel, i.e. the floating platform.Therefore this platform does not have to be redesigned forevery order. Instead, it can adhere to a number of basic layouts as a platform to transport the mission equipment, i.e. thecontractors’ tools.

Bypre-constructing standardvessel andequipmentmodules,the vessels can be dedicated to every task profile. They canalsobeeasilyrefittedtootheroperationalprofilesbyreplacingmodules. This modular approach brings three benefits forcontractorsandoperators:thecostofbuilding,thecapexandopexarelowerand,attheendofacertainoperation,thevalueoftheplatformishigher.Afterall,itcanbenewlyequippedinthe same way to lower costs.

Thisapproachrequiresanewintegrationofthedecoupledhull and subsystems in order to obtain systems for more workable daysandbeingmoreproductiveonworkabledays (figure 6). Together with supply chain integration, stringent keyperformance indicator targets could be set. Completely built and equipped IHC Supporter® class vessels should boast 30% better price and lead time levels compared to custom-builtvessels. They should also be suitable for building all over the world, while maintaining IHCMerwede’s innovative featuresand quality.

With regard to rules and regulations, the targets for theIHC Supporter® class have been achieved in a joint industryprojectwiththeLloydsRegisterofShipping(LRS)[4],ensuringappropriate classification, including ECO certification and Green Passport. Compliance to the Code of Safety for Special Purpose Ships (SPS) adopted by IMO resolutionMSC.266(84) and theMLC 2006Marine Labour Convention, are standard features. The vessels are IMO Tier III prepared. EveryIHCSupporter®classshiphasanIMODPIIIclassificationat Statoil compliant DP capability. All DP reference systems have been integrated, whereas a DPII downgrade package is available.

From a technical point of view, the major ideas behind the IHCSupporter®classinclude:• a standard fore-shipmodule in fivefixedbreadths (20, 22, 23,24and28metres)withstandardtypesofintegratedand variable-sizeaccommodation,anavigationandcontrolbridge, energygenerationfortheentireshipandmissionequipment in three separate engine rooms, as well as sufficient retractable azimuth propulsion and bow thrusters for DPIII

compliance. For the 22, 23 and 24-metre types, many of theseboardsystemsareevenidenticalandshared• a standard aft ship module in the same breadths with integratedazimuthpropulsionthrustersystems• standard-length modules in the same breadth ranges with sufficient deck-load capacity and including moonpool modules. These can be seamlessly arranged at will between thestandardfore-andaft-shipmodules• standard above-deck modules, such as: several types of automatic heave-compensated (AHC) and knuckle-boom cranes in several force classes; several types of cable-storage reels, baskets, tensioners and trenchers; standard air-diving and/or saturation-diving support modules; or standard helidecks. These modules can alternativelybeintegratedwiththehullelements• standard below-deck modules, such as several types of standardcable-storagesystemsandstandardwork-classand/ orobservation-classROVhangars,owner-suppliedornot.

Creation processAs simple as the basic assumptions sound, what lay behind themintermsofempoweringpeople,toolsandtheorganisationwas so complicated that some large steps had to be made. It has all been achieved during the development stage and tested in practiceduringthebuildingofone-offs.

It starts at the proposal stage, during which a configuratorallows the customer to visualise the vessel with only a few clicks of the mouse through the sets of standard mission equipment, such as offshore cranes, cable reels, helidecks,moonpools, diving equipment, accommodation sizes, length

2. A triple concept, comprising of the cost-effective standard IHC Packhorse® class…

4. …plus intricate custom-built vessels for every offshore task

5. The position of the IHC Offshore division and its products presented against numbers of vessels built annually3. …plus the configurable, variable breadth and modular IHC Supporter® class…


ExamplesoftypicalvesselspecificationsintheIHCMerwedeOffshoreSupportVesselsandStandardOffshoreVessels

series, with arbitrary mission equipment arrangements

IHC Packhorse® PSV

IHC Packhorse® Maxi

IHC Supporter® class 22-132 OCV

IHC Supporter®class 23-122 DSV

IHC Supporter®class24-132CLV

IHC Supporter®class28MPOSV

Lengthoverallapprox.[m] 92.00 95.00 131.70 122.34 131.70 upto164.75

Breadthmouldedapprox.[m] 19.00 up to 21.00 22.00 23.20 24.40 28.40

Depthmouldedapprox.[m] 8.50 8.50 9.50 9.50 9.50 12.50

Designdraught[m] 6.10 6.10 6.25 6.25 6.25 7.50

Classification DNV DNV LRS LRS LRS LRS

Deadweightapprox.[tonnes] 4,800 4,800

Freedeckareaapprox.[m2] 1,050 1,000 1,700 1,150 950 2,200

Deckloadcapacity[tonnes/m2] 7.5 7.5 10 10 10 10

Cargotankcapacityapprox.[m3] 11,396 11,396

Rollreductionsystem passive passive yes yes yes yes

Azimuththrustersaft 2 2 2 2 2 3

Retractable thrusters forward option option 1 1 1 2

Tunnel thrusters 2 3 2 2 2 1

Totalinstalledpower[kW-e] 7,650 7,650 10,080 10,080 10,080 18,000

IMO Tier III prepared yes

Maximum/economicspeed[knots] 15.0/12.0 15.0/12.0 14.5/11.5 14.0/11 13.5/11 14.5/11.5

Bollardpull[tonnes] 90 90 90 150

DPclassunderStatoilcapability no option IMO DPIII IMO DPIII IMO DPIII IMO DPIII

Accommodation[people] 27 59 80 120 80 120

SPScompliancy no option yes yes yes yes

Windlasses[numberxtonnes] 2x18 2x20

Capstans[numberxtonnes] 2x8 2x8

Tuggerwinches[numberxtonnes] 2x10 2x10 1x501x202x10

1x501x202x10

Knucklecranes[numberxSWL@m] 2x3@10 2x3@10

Knuckle crane 100 tonnes option

AHCoffshorecranePS [tonnesSWL@m]

1x250@121x20@35

1x150@121x20@35

1x150@121x20@35

1x400

AHCoffshorecraneSB [tonnesSWL@m]

1x50@151x10@25

1x10@15 1x10@15 1x400

AlternativeAHCcrane 1x800

Helideck 22m 22 or 26m 22 or 26m 22 or 26m 22 or 26m

Moonpool option yes 2 diving 1+1optional

Cablelaying equipment option Basket carouselHi-Traq trencher

Cablestorage[tonnes] 3,500 7,500

Tensionercapacity[tonnes] 40 2x20

Productdiameter[mm] 50-300

TrenchingandLARSdepth[m] 1.5-3.0 80tonnes

Airdiveequipment[menxm] option option

SATdiveequipment[menxmsw] option 18manTwinBell@300m

ROV support option option option 1xondeck Upto2xcovered

Upto2xcovered

Innovative vesselsReferences[1]ArticlesontheSEVENOCEANS(PLV),SEVENATLANTIC(DSV),OLEGSTRASHNOV(HLV), SEVENPACIFIC(OCV/PLV).Ports and Dredging 173, 175, 176, 177. IHCMerwede,Sliedrecht,The Netherlands, 2009-2011.Passim

[2] Cor van der Harst, Robert Plat, Mark Appels &JohandeBie.Optimised DSV design through integration. Paper IMCA annual seminar. New Orleans, 2011.

[3]CorvanderHarst,Mark Appels, Paper. IMCA annual seminar. Amsterdam, 2012. Passim.

[4] “IHC Merwede launches a series of modularsupportvessels.”Horizons September 2012, Issue 35. Lloyds Register MarineCommunications,London,UK,2012.18-20.

requirementsandsoon,justlikeanewMercedesorVolkswagenis configured. The influenceof selectedmoduleson the leadtime is instantly displayed thanks to the stock policy and areliable supply chain.

Anincorporatedtechnicalconfiguratorcalculatestherequiredvesseldimensions inviewofstabilityandpayloadconditions, aswellasthrusterpowerandconfiguration.Finally,acommercialandoperationalconfiguratorinstantlyprovidesasalesprice,afixeddeliverydateandacomprehensivetechnicalproposal.So,inthefirststageofaproject,nosinglesecondislost(figure 7).

AnimportantachievementistheintegrationofallIHCMerwedeknowledge and manufacturing centres into the design (figure 8). As far as possible, mission equipment is concentrated into skids, whichcanbemanufacturedasawholeand,afterhoistingonboard, connected directly to hydraulic and electric power, and other interface types.

Inparticular,theinterfacesbetweentheseveralpre-designed orpre-constructedmodules–whicharealwaysthebottlenecks in complex systems – have been worked out frantically, resulting in a new construction process. This approachconsiderablyreducesengineeringcostsandtime,andallowsfor the parallel building of the vessel and assembly of the skids, starting within weeks of the contract date. With thisphilosophy,theleadtimeofthemaincomponentsisnotpart ofaproblem,butpartofasolution.

The last issue is the Fast Assembly Process (figure 9) thathasbeendevelopedtoachievethebenefitsoftheIHCSupporter®class.Theconfigurabledesignleadstoaconfigurableproduction

process in which three key elements prevail:1.theskidideabringsbackcomplexandspecialistmanufacturing processestotheworkshopundercontrolledconditionsand proven performance2. the fully prepared hull, wherever it has been built, has been providedwithaccessentrancesforhoistingskiddedtechnical installationsintoitinacontrolledway…“thehullisthehall”.3.theroutingofcables,pipesandductsinsuchawaythatthey donotinhibitadditionalpiercingofthedecks.

ConclusionsThanks to a new spirit, a totally integrated design, a decoupled vessel and equipment approach, and a smart configurationand manufacturing process, IHC Merwede can beneficiallyserve itscustomers intheoffshoremarketwitha largerangeat a competitive cost level and delivery times. It is obligedto its customers (and itself) with regard to the quality. The IHCPackhorse®, IHCWorkhorse®andIHCSupporter®classoffercustomers irresistible degrees of freedom in configuring andachievingefficientand innovativeoffshore toolsatpreviouslyunknown levels.

The table opposite only presents typical examples from an almost unlimited table of possibilities. To correctly interpret the table, the reader should assume that each example of the IHC Supporter® class has been composed fromone arbitrary standardtype(20,22,23,24or28),equippedwithinloadand stability constraints with one arbitrary type of mission equipment.Thepresentedexamplesonlyprovideanimpression,whilethemodularconceptallowsseveralothercombinations.

6. More workable days and being more productive on workable days by integration

8. One typical contribution to the integrated design – the IHC Drives & Automation variable frequency drive

7. Thanks to the configurator, not a single second is lost

9. Fast Assembly Process – “the hull is the hall”



Life-cycle support

However confusing the origins, the fact remains that plain suction dredgers were deployed for dredging works in the USA, Egypt and The Netherlands for the construction oftheNorthSeaCanalnearAmsterdamat theendof the19th Century. This British-owned ‘Hutton’ dredger applied a submergedpump.In1878,aKinderdijk-basedpredecessorof IHC Merwede built its first suction hopper dredger, the ADAMI–acombinationoftheHuttonandtheBazindredger–fortheDutchcontractorVolker&Bos.Shehadapumpinthemiddleoftheshipanddischargedintoadjacentbarges[3].

A Mr Langley, reporting on three years’ experience with aBazin-type suction dredger (figure 2),makes the operationalstatement that, “…Thebestproportionofwater to sand is 5 to 1. When loose sand is the only material to be dealt with, it canbe easily suckedup, even if the nozzle is deeply buried;but at other times stones interfere…” This is confirmed by LG Volker, who observes that the plain suction dredgerencountered problems with dredging peat, clayish soils and stones.Hestatesthatthesehavebeensolvedbytheadditionof“anAmericaninvention–thecutterhead”.

From this point on, the confusion is replaced by a suspicious unanimity. Several websites, as well as university lectures,literally repeat each other, without providing a clue to which of them is actually the original. In order not to add another version, theymaybesummarisedas follows: thefirstknowncuttersuctiondredger(CSD)wasactiveintheportofOakland,California, USA in 1884. This dredger should have had acylindrical cutterhead and she was used to dredge layers ofsandstone. Her discharge pipeline measured 20 inches and sheregularlysufferedablockageofthesuctionmouth.

Thenthedevelopmentsspedup.KnownCSDsare,forexample,the RAM that was built in 1893 for dredging on the lowerMississippi River [4]. She was propelled by the then usualpaddlewheelandrotatedon thedredging locationaroundaspud pole, which means that the basic elements of the modern CSDwerealreadyinplace(figure 3).

In 1896, a CSD named BETA followed. She was built for theAmerican Dredging Company of Chicago, and utilised two pumpsandthreerotatingsuctionheads.In1907,EllicottbuiltthecutterdredgersfortheconstructionofthePanamaCanalinBaltimore,Maryland.Thefirstvesselwasasteam-driven,900hp,20-inchdredger.OneofthefirstidentifiableIHCMerwedeCSDsis theMOP 215-C,whichwas built in 1927. The name of anearlier steam-driven vessel (figure 4)isnotknown.

InEuropeandAsia,thebucketlinedredgerandtrailingsuctionhopperdredger(TSHD)gainedinpopularity,buttheCSD–asagenuineAmericaninvention–alwaysremainedaverypopulardredging tool in theUSA. In fact,CSDsstilloutnumberTSHDs by a factor two or three.

The history of hydraulic dredgers is somewhat confusing. Some sources suggest the first dredger – that utilised a pump instead of mechanical digging apparatus – appeared in the USA in 1857. The GENERAL MOULTRIE was a steam-driven hopper dredger with a wooden hull, single suction pipe and deck-mounted centrifugal pump. She created a pit and then was slowly propelled forwards. This stimulated the development of the stationary plain suction dredger, or profile dredger, which was moved through the dredging profile by winches [1].

Other sources (including one from the USA) suggest that the French engineer, Henri-Émile Bazin – an assistant of Professor Darcy, who was known for his work on the resistance of water flow in channels – proposed the ‘suction principle dredger’ in addition to bucket dredgers for the construction of the Suez Canal in 1867. These sources also report on failed attempts to develop dredgers both in England and the USA as early as 1804. They mention the first American suction dredgers: an unknown one deployed by General QA Gillmore in 1871; and another, the GWR BAYLEY, deployed by Eads [2].

2. The Bazin dredger is believed to be one of the first suction dredgers that made it past the drawing board (Source: chestofbooks.com crafts scientific American sup1)

1. Focussing on dredging with the simulator

Cutter suction dredging training in the USA:back to where the CSD was invented


Life-cycle support

4. An early IHC Merwede unidentified CSD, built before 19273. The American-built RAM (1893) already displays all of the features on a true CSD (Source: Vlasblom, reference [4])

5. The CSD FRANK BECHTOLD, Manson Construction Co’s 400mm dredger, working on port maintenance

6. Like all Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Corporation’s CSDs, the ALASKA is named after a US State

7. Weeks Marine’s BORINQUEN is an IHC Merwede product – an IHC Beaver® 3800NG (1997)

9. TID’s Alex Roosendaal assisting a trainee through a simulator session10. “The simulator was great, real, but would like to spend more time on it…” (far right: TID’s Timon Vinke and Robert Jonk)

8. Norfolk Dredging’s 600mm CHARLESTON boasts 7,360hp of installed power

Thenin2012,US-basedCSDoperatorsacceptedanofferfromIHC Merwede’s US-based Dredge Technology Corporation (DTC) to participate in a comprehensive training programmefor people involved in CSD operations. DTC – honoured tohave acquired a level recognition in this field – ordered theprogrammefromtheTrainingInstituteforDredging(TID).

IHC Merwede’s DTC and TIDIn 1977, DTC emerged as a joint venture between an IHC Merwede predecessor and John J McMullen Associates, a NewYorkNavalArchitecturefirm.Severalyears later, itcameunder the sole ownership of IHC Merwede. DTC is the sole distributor of the IHC Merwede group’s latest products and servicesfortheUSAandCanada,whichhavebeenadaptedtocomplywithUSrulesandregulations.

TID provides high-quality up-to-date training programmes and courses all over the world for dredging companies, port authorities, the mining and aggregates industries, and otherparties involved indredging activities. Thebroad spectrumofsubjects includes general dredging courses, specialist trainingtailored to customer needs, such as equipment-related, on-the-job and specific competence training. Simulation technologyandotherITapplicationssupporttheseservices.TID’sactivitiesresultinmoreconsciousandsustainabledredgingoperationsbyendusers.Reportsfromthefieldshowanimprovementofupto70%inproduction–atareducedlevelofriskanddowntime.

Organisation of the trainingDTC decided to start a simulator-supported training programme for American and Canadian contractors and other interested

parties. The company was pleasantly surprised to receivea response from such renowned companies as Manson Construction Co, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Corporation,Weeks Marine, Mosaic and Norfolk Dredging. In total, these represent23CSDsofvariablepower,from1,200to19,000kWanddischargepipesof 200-940mm (figures 5-8). In addition,there are 11 TSHDs – to which the IHC Merwede-designedMAGDALEN will be added in 2014, along with a range ofmechanicaldredgersandauxiliaryvessels.

DTC temporarily installed TID’s top-of-the-range CSD trainingsimulatorinafirst-classhotelinClearwater,Floridatoofferthe intensiveandpracticalsimulator-trainingprogramme.Fortwo weeks, three-day training sessions were offered to both novice and experienced dredging operators, as well as superintendents.StartingonMonday8April2013,participants took part in group sessions, during which key aspects of CSDsandthedredgingprocesswereaddressed.TID’sexperiencedtrainers, Robert Jonk, Sergio Ooijens, Alex Roosendaal andTimonVinke,discussedbestpracticesforoperatorstoprepareparticipantsforthecutter-simulatorsessions(figure 9).

Behind the simulator control consoles, trainees worked through variousdredgingscenariosandappropriateresponsepatterns.Thisinvaluablepracticaltimeenabledthemtogainnewinsightsonprocessoptimisationunderdifferentsetsofcircumstances.TID’s trainers guided the participants through the dredgingprocess and demonstrated which factors can be manipulated to achieveoptimalperformance.

Classroom and simulatorThe classroom sessions were organised intermittently in

specified periods, enabling every trainee group to spendapproximately ten hours with the simulator, so that the newmaterial could be immediately applied. The comprehensive TID Cutter Operator Handbook provided the body of the material for theclassroom.ThisisstructuredaroundtheIHCBeaver®6518c,atypicalmodern-dayCSD.Ananthologyofthetrainingsubjectsincludesstructuredstartingupandshutdown,breakingin,thehydraulic pumping process, swinging and stepping the spud carriage. Furthermore, instrument interpretation for themostprevailingobstructionsandfailureswasexercised,togetherwithlearning to operate or optimise dredger subsystems – acrossseveraldifferentsoiltypes.

TID Cutter Operator Cases provided several tasks and challenges on the simulator to accompany, for example, the making ofa dredging plan, investigating soil types, facing heights, andlong and short anchoring procedures in relation to uptime. Long-distance slurry transportation and booster positions had to be calculated, also on the basis of the IHC Beaver® 6518c’s features.Inparticular,timeanalysisandsystematicreportingwere practised,asthesearethemainsourcesforsettingoutcompany strategy and offering new operations at realistic prices and conditions.Itconcludedwithasportsmanlikeandjury-reviewed competition between the trainees, with certificates awarded totheparticipantsasavaluedmementofortheirportfolios.

However, the enhanced level of awareness and competence of the trainees is of even greater value to all concerned. This is whatthey–andtheiremployers–willbenefitfromeveryday:optimum productivity; quality of delivered work; enhanceduptime; reduced wear; and less fuel consumption. Traineesexpressedtheirappreciationoftheprofessional,interactiveandrelaxedapproachofDTC/TID.

Scott Baumann, Project Engineer at GLDD stated: “I enjoyedthe material discussed and liked the practical knowledge ofthe instructors.” So did Charles Ross, a superintendent ofThe Mosaic Company that uses only one or two CSDs for overburden removal, who said: “The instructors were very knowledgeableandhelpful…thecoursewasverywellthoughtout andpresented.”Othersmade short statements like: “Thesimulatorwas great, real, butwould like to spendmoretime on it” (figures 1, 10);or“Goodcourseandwill recommend it forotherpeopleinourcompany.”InthecountrywheretheCSDwasinvented,bettertestimonycanbarelybeimagined.

Conclusions and perspectiveCutterSuctionSimulatortrainingisoneofthemostsuccessfuland appreciated training programmes offered by TID. Theeditorial board of IHC Merwede Insight congratulates the participants and their employers, aware of the heritagefromtheUSA,andexpecting that therewillbemore reportson American training courses in the future. The results are worth it.

References[1] Dredging Fundamentals and Inspection Applications: Background informationPart1.TID,Kinderdijk,TheNetherlands,2008.5ss.

[2]RichardSheltonKirbyetal.Engineering in History. Dover Publications,NewYork,1990.449.

[3]www.dredgepoint.org/dredging-database/equipment/adam-i

[4] W.J. Vlasblom. Lecture Notes on Dredging Equipment and Technology by Prof. Wim Vlasblom.Chapter3,Thecuttersuctiondredger.CEDApublications,2005.5-6.


Recently deliveredYardnumber Name Specifications Country

TRAILING SUCTION HOPPER DREDGERS CO 1260 CHANG JIANG KOU 02 12,000m³ ChinaCO1265 DCIDREDGEXX 5,500m³ India3

STANDARD CUTTER SUCTION DREDGERS 02704 IHCBeaver®5014C Vietnam02741 IHCBeaver®300 Russia02743 IHCBeaver®40 India02753 IHCBeaver®40 Brazil02768 IHCBeaver®65DDSP SaudiArabia02778 IHCBeaver®1200 China02787 IHCBeaver®1200 Argentina02789 IHCBeaver®50 Brazil02790 IHCBeaver®50 Gabon02791 IHCBeaver®50 Russia CUSTOM-BUILT CUTTER SUCTION DREDGERCO1262 ARTEMIS 24,000kW TheNetherlands4

WORK BOATS11026 DMC1400 Gabon11032 DMC 1200 Portugal CUSTOM-BUILT WHEEL DREDGERS15043 DRAGA18 1,600kVAWSD Columbia15044 DRAGA19 1,600kVAWSD Columbia

BACKHOE DREDGER11002 ALBERTO ALEMÁN 2,000kW Panama ZUBIETA

1

3 4

2

Yardnumber Name Specifications Country

TRAILING SUCTION HOPPER DREDGERS CO1266 DCIDREDGEXXI 5,500m³ IndiaCO1272 ALBATROS 1,500m³ TheNetherlands

STANDARD CUTTER SUCTION DREDGERS 02479 IHCBeaver®65DDSP Russia02754 IHCBeaver®40 India02788 IHCBeaver®1200 Indonesia02792 IHCBeaver®50 Gabon02805 BoosterStation 638kW Indonesia SELF-PROPELLED CUTTER SUCTION DREDGER 02800 23,545kW SaudiArabia GRAB HOPPER DREDGER 11010 ITALENI 750m³ SouthAfrica

PIPELAYING VESSELS 727 SEVENWAVES 550t UK1

728 SAPURADIAMANTE 550t Malaysia2

729 SAPURATOPÁZIO 550t Malaysia730 Pipelayingvessel 550t Malaysia731 Pipelayingvessel 550t UK732 Pipelayingvessel 550t Malaysia733 Pipelayingvessel 550t UK734 Pipelayingvessel 550t Malaysia735 Pipelayingvessel 550t UK WORK BOATS11051 DMC850 Indonesia11052 DMC1400 SaudiArabia

On orderOrders and deliveries

IHC Merwede

P.O. Box 2043360 AE SliedrechtThe Netherlands

T +31 184 41 15 55F +31 184 41 18 84

[email protected]

IHC Merwede is focussed on the continuous development of design and construction activities for the specialist maritime sector. It is the global market leader for efficient dredging and mining vessels and equipment – with vast experience accumulated over decades – and a reliable supplier of innovative ships and supplies for offshore construction.

IHC Merwede has in-house expertise for engineering and manufacturing integrated standard and custom-built vessels, advanced equipment and also providing life-cycle support. This integrated systematic approach has helped to develop optimum product performance and long-term business partnerships. The company’s broad customer base includes dredging operators, oil and gas corporations, offshore contractors and government authorities.

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