Royal IHC and Arab Potash Company (APC) from Jordan have prolonged their excellent relationship with the signing of an operation and maintenance contract for the latest delivered customised cutter suction dredger ALKARAMAH, according to the company's release.
The vessel was delivered by Royal IHC early 2021 and has been put into operation at the Dead Sea in Jordan, where it is being used to excavate the sea bed to construct a new pier for the company’s pumps station. This contract builds on the positive results of a three-year maintenance contract between APC and Royal IHC on two cutter suction dredgers JARASH (a custom-built CSD) and MUTAH (Beaver® 40), both delivered by Royal IHC.
With this new contract, Royal IHC will provide the operational crew to perform the dredging operation on ALKARAMAH’s first dredging job; the development of a new pump station inlet that will be used to pump water from the Dead Sea to the mining ponds of APC.
Dredging in the Dead Sea is specialist work due to the depth. For dredging up to 32 metres it is not possible to use the vessel’s spud poles. Instead, the ALKARAMAH will be operated with a christmas tree configuration which requires the specialist operational knowledge, to be provided by the Royal IHC crew, to make sure the vessel is working at its utmost efficiency. The crew will also work according to a detailed dredging plan developed by Royal IHC’s dredging consultants.
The contract also comprises a maintenance agreement for the operational period in order to achieve and maintain an agreed level of uptime and sustainable performance of the dredger. All maintenance and repair work will be managed and executed by a dedicateed team of IHC maintenance engineers from the local built workshop on APC’s premises.
Royal IHC will operate and maintain the ALKARAMAH working at the intake basin of Dead Sea for a period of 9 months or until the dredging plan is completed.