Trailing suction hopper dredger Meuse River has left Neptune Shipyards in Hardinxveld for a second sea trial on the North Sea, which is to last until 19 June. The ship was built at Royal IHC’s yard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, but later moved to Neptune for further finishing.
The Meuse River was ordered from Royal IHC by DEME, Zwijndrecht (Belgium), as part of an investment programme. The keel for the Meuse River was laid on 27 March 2019 in Krimpen aan den IJssel. The Meuse River has the same innovative design as the identical trailing suction hopper dredger Scheldt River, delivered by IHC on 26 September 2017.
The details of the Meuse River are: 5495 GT, 2837 NT, 8979 DWT – L oa (ll) x W x H (d) = 115.80 (101.40) x 25.00 x 9.00 (6.66) metres. The dredging draught is 9.00 metres and the maximum dredging depth is 60 metres. The Bureau Veritas class-built hopper dredger will be equipped with two Wärtsilä dual-fuel engines, one type 9L34DF of 4500 kW and one type 12V34DF of 6000 kW on two propellers for a speed of 14 knots.
LNG operation delays building process
The first sea trials were undertaken from 23-28 May after which the vessel arrived at Neptune on 29 May. Originally, delivery was planned for April 2020, but during construction DEME decided to equip the Meuse River for sailing on natural gas, which required changes to the design and delayed construction.
Due to changed safety requirements and the long delivery time of the LNG tank, this will be installed later. However, the necessary preparations for installation of the tank have already been made by IHC. A new delivery date for the Meuse River has not yet been announced.
Picture: The Meuse River during its first sea trial on the Nieuwe Waterweg (by Koos Goudriaan).
