IHC Merwede has delivered the dredger 'CHANG JIANG KOU 02' to Yangtze Estuary Waterway Administration Bureau (YEWAB) in Shanghai.
IHC Merwede’s contract with YEWAB included the design, construction and delivery of two identical vessels: the CHANG JIANG KOU 02, built in conjunction with the company’s Chinese partner’s yard; and her sister vessel, the CHANG JIANG KOU 01, which was delivered in May last year.
The efficient planning and control of the production process ensured that the CHANG JIANG KOU 02 was delivered on schedule. This demonstrates the reliability of not only IHC Merwede, but also its partner in China, on an international scale.
Both vessels – named after the mouth of the Yangtze River – have been specifically designed with the high-current velocity and soil properties of the River in mind. This is one of the reasons why the vessels are equipped with the patented IHC Merwede Wild Dragon® draghead and have already successfully carried out maintenance dredging jobs over a distance of 122km.
Fer Tummers, Managing Director of IHC Global Production, part of IHC Merwede, says: “This has proven to be a truly unique project for IHC Merwede. It is the first time that the company has had total responsibility for building such a large and complex vessel in China.
“In addition, the project has been completed successfully and on schedule, and the feedback from the customer has been extremely positive. This is a credit to the overall performance and cooperation of the international team involved – spread over different geographical locations and time zones.”
The impressive 12,000m3 trailing suction hopper dredger was handed over to YEWAB Director, Mr Lu Shi Ming.