CEMEX UK Marine Limited signed a contract with Damen Shipyards Group, on December in Southampton, for the delivery of the first Damen Marine Aggregate Dredger (MAD). The vessel will be built at Damen Shipyards Galati, in Romania.
The new vessel will be used to extract sand and gravel from the sea bed up to depths of 55 metres, including in the North Sea.
Laurence Dagley, Director CEMEX UK Marine explains: “We wanted a cutting edge design, something for the 21st century with all the safety, efficiency, environmental and on board comfort credentials this implies. Achieving a maximum uptime within what can be a challenging working environment is also important to us. This new ship represents the start of our ambition to modernise our fleet over the coming years, to serve the increasing need for marine dredged aggregates in the UK.”
The MAD 3500 design balances between payload and efficiency within limited dimensions. The vessel will feature a length of 103.5 metres, a deadweight of just under 7,000 tonnes and a speed of approximately 12 knots.
Moreover, Damen informed that the bow will be enclosed, in order to protect deck equipment and reduce the entry of green water into the cargo hold. Furthermore, dredge pipes are located above the main deck level in order to facilitate safety, as well as inspection and crane reach.
Additionally, the design of the new vessel will enable the easy replacement of wear parts on the piping and screening installation.
Damen regional sales director, Frank de Lange stated: “At Damen we are always happy to embrace a challenge and this vessel, which includes a number of never before seen features is a good example of that. We feel confident that the MAD has all the attributes required to bring the aggregate dredging fleet up to date and into the future. We’re looking forward to seeing the first MAD in action at the end of 2019.”