Sea trials completed for Royal IHC’s latest TSHD
Royal IHC announced the successful completion of sea trials of the 2,300m³ trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) LESSE which was built by IHC’s partner yard, MTG Dolphin BV in Varna, Bulgaria.
It is equipped with the latest electronic system to improve positioning, sounding and execution of dredging work.
Special attention was paid during the design phase to reduce operational costs by ensuring maximum uptime. Design considerations included the application of more wear-resistant materials and use of maintenance-free equipment on board.
With a dredging depth of 30m below the waterline and a hopper capacity of 2,300m³, the LESSE is extremely efficient and can be deployed worldwide.
The new vessel is characterized by a small draught. Compared to the two previous TSHDs, it has a larger hopper and the capacity of the dredging equipment has been increased.
The dredger is designed to maintain sea and inland waterways, as well as perform land reclamation. According to the shipbuilder, during the trials, the vessel and its dredging equipment were thoroughly tested under all conditions.
At the naming ceremony which took place in May, 2019, CEO of Dutch Dredging, Kees van de Graaf Jr. said “As a family business, Dutch Dredging is happy to invest in sustainable relationships. We have enjoyed the cooperation in Bulgaria so far and are proud of our construction team, which conducted the local supervision”.
The vessel will be the newest addition to the fleet of Baggerbedrijf de Boer – Dutch Dredging fleet and is based on the success of IHC-built TSHDs ALBATROS and MAHURY (delivered in 2013 and 2015 respectively).
IHC director Dredging Market André Kik adds: “We are proud to have developed and built such an innovative ship in close collaboration with Dutch Dredging, incorporating the latest solutions such as the *Plumigator®. The construction of the LESSE demonstrates our ability to supply competitive and groundbreaking ships in this market.”