Boskalis orders self-propelled mega cutter

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has ordered a new self-propelled mega cutter from IHC Merwede. It concerns a sister vessel of the 'Helios' which will be taken into service later this year. The new vessel will also have a total installed power of 23,700 kW, a pumping capacity of 15,600 kW and a maximum cutter capacity of 7,000 kW. The new cutters can dredge in extremely hard ground at depths ranging from 6 to 35 meters. The new vessel is expected to be commissioned in the course of 2020, the company said in its press release.

A cutter suction dredger (cutter) is a vessel that dredges while being held into place using spuds and anchors. This technique combines powerful cutting with suction dredging. Cutter suction dredgers are mainly used where the underwater surface is hard and compact. The dredged material is sometimes loaded into barges but is generally pumped to land through a pressure pipeline.

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world with services including the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection. In addition, Boskalis offers a wide variety of marine services and contracting for the oil and gas sector and offshore wind industry as well as salvage solutions (SMIT Salvage). Furthermore, Boskalis has a number of strategic partnerships in harbor towage and terminal services (KOTUG SMIT Towage, Keppel Smit Towage, Saam Smit Towage and Smit Lamnalco). With a versatile fleet of more than 900 vessels and floating equipment and 11,700 employees, including associated companies, Boskalis operates in 90 countries across six continents.