Royal IHC awarded order by NCSPA for water injection dredger
Royal IHC was awarded a contract for the design and build of a water injection dredger for the North Carolina State Ports Authority (NCSPA) at the beginning of 2020, the company said in its release.
In line with NCSPA’s specifications, the dredger is designed to offer easy maintenance and a smooth operation. Other key design factors include dredge depth, weight and cost. A modular approach helps to support the cost-effectiveness of the vessel and its maintenance, by allowing the easy removal and cleaning of the propulsion units, generator and jet water pump.
The vessel will perform maintenance in the main seaports of Wilmington and Morehead City in order to safeguard the depth of the ports. To do so, it will move sediment from the main channel (with the assistance of natural currents), while keeping the required material within the Cape Fear river system.
The water injection dredger has an impressive flow of 20,000 GPM (4,542m3/h), a dredging depth of 55ft (16.7m), a width jet beam of 27ft (8.2m) and a total installed power of 770 HP (566kW).
The engineering phase is ongoing and the vessel is planned to be delivered in the beginning of 2021.
