Tecnoimport in Cuba Orders Hopper Dredge from Royal IHC
Royal IHC headquartered in Kinderdijk the Netherlands has signed a contract with a Cuban company for a state-of-the-art dredge. The Easydredge® 3700 trailing suction hopper dredge was ordered by Tecnoimport and Empresa Constructora de Obras Marítimas of Havana Cuba. The contract was signed in early June in the presence of Mark Rutte Prime Minister of The Netherlands and Ricardo Cabrisas Ruiz vice president of the Council of Ministers and Executive Committee of Cuba. The signers were area sales director at Royal IHC Hans Hesen and Jose Tomas Romero Villar managing director of Tecnoimport.
Artist’s impression of an Easydredge 3700 sailing along the coast of Havana Cuba.
The Easydredge product line of standardized trailers comes with a hopper capacity of 1600 2700 or 3700 cubic meters and can be customized via modular options for various types of dredge works. The 3700 cubic meter vessel ordered by Tecnoimport and Empresa Constructora de Obras Marítimas is the largest in the series of standardized Easydredge twin-screw trailing suc-tion hopper dredges designed and built by IHC. The dredge will be upgraded with options such as a larger crew accommodation and increased au-tonomy; a booster pump which enhances shore-pumping capacities to more than four kilometers; and a dynamic positioning system that will help to navigate through narrow passages to protect the coral reefs along the Cuban coast. IHC will also provide an extensive training program to help the customer understand and fully operate the vessel.
The Easydredge will be deployed for maintenance works and beach nourishment projects which are fundamental for stimulating further investment in Cuba’s tourism industry and con-tribute to Cuba’s economic development.
With a focus on maximum cost efficiency straightforward design and affordability the Easydredge®represents IHC’s new approach to meeting the needs of the dredging market by building an easy-to-use dredge that is in stock and yet available with a wide range of options. The basis of the dredge is a boxed shaped hopper for the dry unloading of sand and gravel allowing for the transport of a large volume of silt. A slender hull combines increased speed and low fuel consumption with improved seagoing capabilities. The standardization of the Easydredge keeps the dredge competitively priced and deliverable in a short timeframe.
The Cuban government owns another IHC vessel the split-hopper Quality Star built in 1981. The new Easydredge 3700 is due for delivery in early 2018 and the two dredges will work together plying the waters off the coast of Cuba.
