Arab Potash Company's (APC) newest cutter suction dredger (CSD) was launched at Royal IHC’s shipyard in Krimpen a/d IJssel, The Netherlands, on Wednesday. APC will use Alyarmouk at its site in Jordan, where it will cut and remove crystallized salt under harsh conditions.
The custom-built vessel is a 3,557-kilowatt CSD and a further developed copy of the dredger Jarash, which IHC delivered to APC in 2018.
Alyarmouk is the last of three contracts signed between APC and IHC earlier this year. The first was for an IHC Beaver 65, a 2,819-kilowatt dismountable CSD that was modified in order to work efficiently in the Dead Sea. The second contract was a three-year maintenance deal for the IHC dredgers Jarash and Mutah.
After the launch, the Alyarmouk will be commissioned and tested. Once concluded, the vessel will be lifted out of the water, demounted and transported to Jordan. When the parts arrive in Jordan, the Alyarmouk will be reassembled and ready to execute its first assignment, supported by IHC Jordan local office.