IHC Merwede Launches Two New Dredgers
IHC Merwede successfully launched two new dredgers wednesday at the company’s Dutch shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel. Offshore Industry witnessed the event.
Toyota Tsusho Corporation ordered the 500m3 Grab Hopper Dredger Dohuk and 3,500m3 Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger Karbala. The vessels will be operating for the General Company for Ports of Iraq (GCPI). Mr Hussain Mohammed Abdullah, GCPI’s Project Director, performed both ceremonies at IHC Merwede. No champagne, but bottles of yoghurt hit the bows– an Iraqi tradition when something new is bought.
The contract for the design, construction and delivery of both vessels was signed between Toyota Tsusho Corporation and IHC Dredgers on 21 October 2010. The keel of the trailing suction hopper dredger was laid on 10 January 2012 and of the grab hopper dredger on 9 March 2012.
The Dohuk and Karbala will be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2012. They will be used mainly for maintenance work in various Iraqi ports, although the Karbala can also be used for land reclamation projects.
