Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) has ordered a new self-propelled megacutter from IHC Merwede. This self-propelled cutter suction dredger, with a total installed power of 23,700 kW and a pump ashore capacity of 15,600 kW, is a replacement investment. The total investment amounts to around EUR 170 million and construction of the vessel is expected to take more than three years.

Boskalis explain that a cutter suction dredger is a vessel that dredges while being held into place using spuds and anchors. This technique combines powerful cutting with suction dredging. Cutter suction dredgers are mainly used where the underwater surface is hard and compact. The dredged material is sometimes loaded into barges but is generally pumped to land through a pressure pipeline.

Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world with the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land reclamation, coastal defense and riverbank protection.