Two Hoppers Ordered at Tianjin Shipyard

On the February 20, Jan De Nul Group has placed an order with Tianjin Xinhe Shipbuilding and Heavy Industry Co.Ltd. for the construction of two 3,400m³ hopper dredgers. Additionally, an option for a third identical hopper dredger has been agreed on. These dredgers are specifically designed for operation in shallow waters, and have a loaded draught of only 5m. The vessels are completely diesel-electric, and are provided with electrically driven rudder propellers and bow thruster, making them very manoeuvrable, and therefore eminently suitable for operation in confined areas.

These orders complement the ongoing investment program consisting of twenty dredging units of which two very large hopper dredgers with a capacity of 46,000m³, a series of four self-propelled cutter suction dredgers with a power of 23,520kW, two hopper dredgers with a capacity of 7,500m³, a side stone dumping vessel of 6,000 ton capacity, a fall pipe vessel of 32,000 ton capacity to lay stones up to a depth of 1,700m, four new generation backhoes called backactors and six splitbarges.

This order shows that the Jan De Nul Group’s investment portfolio also includes smaller units, enabling the Group to offer the most suitable dredger for every job. It further marks a new step in the continuing cooperation between the Xinhe Shipyard in Tianjin, China and Jan De Nul Group. Including these hopper dredgers, the Xinhe Shipyard now has 10 vessels under construction for the Group; i.e. four 1,800m³ and two 3,700m³ splitbarges, one 3,700m³ splithopper dredger, one backactor and the two newly ordered 3,400m³ hopper dredgers. The shipyard has already successfully delivered 9 vessel, i.e. five 3,700m³ splitbarges, one 3,700m³ splithopper dredger, two cutter dredgers and one workboat. The new hopper dredgers will be delivered in early 2010.