Such substantial investment reflects the Group's confidence specifically in the cutter suction dredging market, with significant opportunities opening up in the Middle East, the booming market for offshore related dredging operations plus the large number of container ports and LNG facilities to be constructed worldwide, all of which require the services of powerful cutter suction dredgers.

DEME's great Belgian rival Jan De Nul recently launched what is currently the world's most powerful self-propelled cutter suction dredger. The JFJ De Nul , also built by IHC Holland, will boast a total installed power of 27,500kW.

DEME's new champion will be rated at 26,100kW before DRACULA is taken into account. However, DRACULA is a DEME-developed system fitted to the cutter head which boosts operational efficiency during rock dredging and thus lifts total installed power to a title grabbing 28,200kW.

In addition to DRACULA, the new vessel will be equipped with several in-house developments and SDI/DEME protected patents. The dredger will measure 124m LOA with a 24.4m beam and will be able to dredge in very hard rocky soils to a depth of 36m. It will also be equipped with a barge loading system.

The end of last month saw DEME christen the newest trailing suction hopper dredger in their ongoing fleet modernisation programme. The last dredger to be built at IHC Holland's doomed van der Giessen-de-Noord shipyard in Rotterdam, Pallieter reflects the current trend towards versatile mid-sized trailers small enough to comfortably perform shallow water maintenance dredging and deepening works within the confines of ports and harbours yet large enough to make a meaningful contribution to land reclamation works. With a hopper capacity of 5,400m 3and a relatively light ship weight, Pallieter can carry 7,800 tonnes of dredged material at its maximum draught of 7.1m.

Dredging through a single portside 1,000mm diameter suction tube, Pallieter can work to depths of 33m. An alternative deep dredging installation with a 700 mm diameter suction tube carrying a 1,700kW submerged dredge pump can dredge to depths of 60m. With a total installed power of 6,776kW, Pallieter can sail fully loaded at 12.8 knots.

Assigned to DEME subsidiary Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon NV, Pallieter sailed shortly after the christening ceremonies in its home port of Zeebrugge for its first job, performing maintenance dredging and channel deepening in the Port of Hamburg.

MJ Information No 19207