Following the collaboration between construction group Boskalis and the Dutch Royal IHC shipyard in the design and engineering phase of two advanced trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD), the two parties have now signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for the construction of a 31,000 m3 TSHD to be built at the Royal IHC yard in Krimpen a/d IJssel in the Netherlands for scheduled delivery to Boskalis in mid-2026.
The design and engineering of the new TSHD has been achieved through full co-creation. Royal IHC has been working on the design together with a team from Boskalis.
Jan-Pieter Klaver, CEO Royal IHC, said: “Working together has given us a unique opportunity to achieve an optimal design for this customised trailing suction hopper dredger.”
The design is characterised by the 31,000 m3 hopper volume, two trailing suction pipes, a large shore pump capacity and diesel-electric propulsion, and, importantly, the vessel will be prepared for the use of methanol as a fuel to ensure a future-proof design. Shortly before Royal IHC’s delivery of the cutter suction dredger Krios to Boskalis in 2020, both parties agreed on the design and engineering of the new TSHD.
Theo Baartmans, Member of Executive Board, Boskalis, said: “Now that we have this LOI, we are looking forward to this new phase. With the 31,000 m3 TSHD we are taking an important step to make our dredging fleet fit for the future.”
Klaver added: “This is also an important step for Royal IHC. For some time now, we have seen an increasing demand in the dredging market. However, we have noticed this particularly in the flow business, which consists of orders for smaller working vessels and equipment. With the order for this large custom-built vessel, we are continuing to build a healthy future for Royal IHC. The fact that Boskalis has awarded us this project reinforces our confidence in Royal IHC’s added value for our customers, as well as the market potential of our vessels, equipment and services.”
Royal IHC and Boskalis have an extensive history of collaboration. The most recently delivered vessels were the mega CSDs Krios (2020) and Helios (2017). Previously, Royal IHC has delivered TSHDs such as Gateway, Crestway, Willem van Oranje and Prins der Nederlanden.
