STX France Lorient SAS has just signed a contract with STFMO (Société de Transports Fluvio-Maritimes de l’Ouest), a subsidiary of Sablières de l’Atlantique, for the construction of a sand dredger. This ship order is the first placed with STX Lorient since 2008 and comes during a significantly low period. Construction will begin at the start of 2011 with delivery of the ship to STFMO scheduled for mid-2012. (more…)

In line with the recently approved sand berm plans by the President of the US, the State of Louisiana has contracted Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. to deliver sand for berms to protect the Louisiana coast from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The Boskalis trailing suction hopper dredger Stuyvesant, which sails under the American flag, has been deployed as the first US hopper as of today. (more…)

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has been awarded a LoI (Letter of Intent) to install rock on the 1,220km ‘Nord Stream‘ gas pipelines running through the Baltic Sea, connecting Russia to Northern Germany. The contract value will amount to approximately EUR 100 million, with the share of Boskalis amounting approximately EUR 50 million. Image courtesy of Nord Stream AG. (more…)

On 28 April 2010 the next-generation fallpipe vessel Flintstone was launched at Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore. The launching ceremony was presided by Mrs. Nora Kassam, the Lady Sponsor of the day. Built under Ice Class Notation The Flintstone is the third and biggest fallpipe vessel of Tideway, with a carrying capacity of 19,000 t and can place rock with high accuracy at depthts of up to 2,000 m. (more…)

Wednesday 14 April saw the naming and launch ceremony of the 4,200m³ trailing suction hopper dredger Isandlwana at the IHC Merwede shipyard Verenigde Scheepswerf Heusden (VSH) in Heusden, the Netherlands. The dredger is built for Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), based in South Africa. The construction of the ship will be completed at the IHC Merwede yard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. (more…)

Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), through its wholly-owned Brazilian subsidiary, Navegantes Maritime Construction and Services, has entered into an agreement with Brazil’s TWB Group to acquire the Estaleiro TWB shipyard in Navegantes, Santa Catarina. This acquisition is subject to the fulfillment of conditions by TWB Group. (more…)

Yesterday, IHC Merwede launched two IHC Beaver 9029C cutter suction dredgers. The vessels have been designed and built by IHC Beaver Dredgers for one of the company’s large Chinese customers, Sinohydro. Zhong Guo Shui Dian J08 was named and launched at the Sliedrecht shipyard, while its sister ship, Zhong Guo Shui Dian J09, was named and launched at the Hardinxveld-Giessendam shipyard. (more…)

Dredging giant Jan De Nul can clearly see the benefits of the Damen Stan Tug 1606 - often dubbed the workhorse of the industry - with eleven Stan Tugs joining its fleet in the last few years. To be delivered over a period of 18 months, the five latest vessels have all been built at Albwardy Marine Engineering in Dubai, one of Damen’s joint venture shipyards in the Middle East. (more…)

This morning in Krimpen a/d IJssel, the Netherlands, Ann Clarkson - wife of BP’s Senior Vice President E&P Projects Execution David Clarkson - successfully named the Seven Pacific, built by IHC Merwede Offshore & Marine for repeat customer Subsea 7, followed by its launch. The multi purpose offshore construction vessel is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of this year. (more…)

Friday 19 February 2010, Ms H. Vos-van Genderen, wife of Mr P.F. Vos, retired Van Oord Plant Design and Construction Manager, performed the keel-laying ceremony of yard number CO 1261 at IHC Dredgers‘ Kinderdijk location in the Netherlands: Van Oord’s giant self-propelled cutter suction dredger Athena. The cutter is expected to be operational late October 2011. (more…)