Damen Shipyards Group has announced the successful delivery of four advanced dredging component packages for Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs). These vessels, which are being constructed at different shipyards in Central America, where two of them have already successfully undergone various dredge trials and have been accepted by the customer, while the remaining two are expected to be finished in 2026.
The TSHDs are equipped with a dredge package designed and manufactured by Damen. Each package includes a 700 millimeter trailing suction pipe designed to operate at depths of up to 25 meters, a dredge pump, and a bow coupling unit for efficient material discharge. Additional features such as overflows, bottom dump valves, jet water pumps, nozzles, and advanced dredge monitoring instrumentation ensure optimal performance and reliability during dredging operations.
The identical 2,800 m3 TSHDs, though of a non-Damen design, are fitted with complete Damen dredge packages including both hopper loading as well as discharging gear. Discharge operations can be performed using the dump valves, pumping or rainbowing over the bow. These hopper dredgers are set to play a crucial role in maintaining port access, supporting local economies, and performing essential tasks such as land reclamation and beach replenishment.
All dredge packages were manufactured at the Damen Dredging Equipment yard in Nijkerk, the Netherlands, and shipped to the various yards for installation.
