Boskalis continues expansion with two new hoppers from IHC shipyard

Boskalis is a leading operator of trailing suction hopper dredgers

Boskalis continues expansion with two new hoppers from IHC shipyard
200 million euros investment in 'innovative' new vessels...

Dredging concern Royal Boskalis Westminster nv has placed an order with shipyard IHC Holland for the construction of two innovative 12,000m³ hoppers. The order is part of the multi-year fleet expansion program at Boskalis. The ships will be completed in December 2009 and April 2011. The order involves an investment of more than € 200 million.

The new ships stand out, say Boskalis, because of the use of innovative technologies, strengthening the Boskalis market position in the segment for ‘large trailing suction hopper dredgers’. They will have two separate hoppers, allowing for the optimal use of their capacity in all circumstances, including shallow waters. In addition, the pumping capacity on the vessels is high, allowing them to pump large volumes over longer distances. This means that they can be used in a wide range of projects throughout the world, for both large-scale land reclamation and the construction of ports and waterways.

Boskalis has a modern fleet with trend-setting ships, a broad geographical spread, and activities in all market segments. The company has a multi-year fleet expansion program that will strengthen its position on a global market that is growing rapidly. The program involves a total investment of approximately € 850 million and includes the construction of four hoppers with capacities varying from 5,600m³ to 12,000m³, the lengthening of the Queen of the Netherlands into a mega hopper of 35,500m³ and the construction of jumbo cutter Phoenix, as well as a fallpipe vessel and various other specialised ships for the energy markets. The ships will go into service between 2007 and 2011.

In addition, Boskalis is preparing for investments in a new generation of jumbo cutters that will be added to the company's fleet in the years to come, for replacement of older tonnage in the longer term.

Royal Boskalis Westminster nv is an international group with a leading position in the world market for dredging services. Its core activities are the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection. The company holds important home market positions in and outside of Europe and targets all market segments in the dredging industry. It also has positions in strategic partnerships in the Middle East (Archirodon) and in offshore services (Lamnalco). Boskalis has a versatile fleet of over 300 units and operates in over 50 countries across five continents. Including its share in partnerships, Boskalis has approximately 8,000 employees.

(With thanks to Pascal van Kuijen, Holland Marine Equipment Association for alerting us to this news)