Suez Canal Authority orders powerful cutter suction dredges

L to R [front]: Arnold den Boon (Executive Director Sales, Royal IHC) and Eng. Mohamed Ibrahim Eldesouky (Acting Director, Dredging Dept. SCA) [back] Mohamed Zikry (IHC Representative Egypt), Admiral Mohab Mohamed Hussien Mameesh (Chairman and Managing Director SCA), Admiral Osama Mounier Mohamed (Vice Chairman SCA)

OCTOBER 5, 2017 – The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has signed a contract with Netherlands based Royal IHC for the design and construction of two custom-built 29,190 kW heavy-duty rock cutter suction dredges (CSDs).

The vessels will have an overall length of 147.4 m and provide a maximum dredging depth of 35 m. In addition, they will offer accommodation facilities for 73 people.

Equipped with one submerged, and two inboard, dredge pumps, the installed cutter power will be 4,800 kW.

The CSDs are to be built in the Netherlands and are expected to be delivered in 2020.

A standardized IHC Beaver 45 CSD will also be built by IHC at the SCA’s shipyard in Egypt, with the aim of improving the local manufacturing capacity for this type of dredging equipment.

Alongside the delivery of the three CSDs to SCA, an extensive IHC training programwill be provided, as well as a CSD simulator and a large package of spare parts.

“Signing this contract is of great importance for SCA,” said SCA Chairman and Managing Director Mr. Admiral Mohab Mohamed Hussien Mameesh. “It is a serious step towards upgrading our fleet of dredges, and means that we will have the world’s largest CSDs in terms of dimensions and total power. The new state-of-the-art CSDs from Royal IHC will enable SCA to participate in deepening and widening the waterway and help realize the Egyptian plan to develop local ports.”