Netherlands Shipyard to Build Ship for China

IHC Merwede says it has been successful in securing orders worth € 350 million for a wide range of dredging and offshore vessels and equipment, including a large trailing suction dredger for a Chinese customer. News of the orders as follows:

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

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

The remaining 13 dredging vessels consist of 11 standard IHC Beaver® cutter suction dredgers, a Delta Multi Craft standard work boat and a booster station. IHC Merwede's policy is to deliver standard vessels and equipment from stock, so it is able to meet the demand for short delivery times in this market.

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

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

An additional offshore order from Petrofac includes the design and construction of a 2,000- tonne capacity J-Lay pipelaying system. This will be installed on a new deep-water construction vessel in 2016 to lay 36-inch diameter pipe in water depths of up to 3,000 metres.

The tandem mooring system – used for the safe mooring of the bow of an export tanker to the stern or bow of a FPSO – will be the 17th product of its kind put into operation by IHC Merwede in the floating production market. It will be installed on one of MODEC's FPSO vessels in Ghana.

Bram Roelse, IHC Merwede's COO, commented: "These valuable new orders are confirmation of IHC Merwede's reputation as 'the technology innovator'. We invest in long-term relationships to provide the best possible solutions, so that our international customers continue to appreciate the reliability and efficiency of our products and services."