Other new orders include another jumbo trailer of 32,000m3 capacity for Boskalis’ Dutch rival Van Oord. This vessel will be built at The IHC Holland Merwede Group’s Kinderdijk yard for delivery at the end of 2009.

Also booked in is a 16,900 kW stationary suction dredger for HUTA Marine Works Ltd of Saudi Arabia. To be built at the Group’s Sliedrecht yard, it will be completed early in 2010. A 4,687 kW stationary mono-pontoon cutter suction dredger will also be built at Sliedrecht for delivery next year to Malaysian contractor Inai Kiara Sdn Bhd.

IHC also competes for newbuilds in the offshore and other marine markets. It will build a new heavy lift crane vessel for Seaway Heavy Lifting of Cyprus which will be the largest monohull crane vessel in the world, with a lifting capacity of 5,000 tons. It will be built at IHC Krimpen, with engineering and purchasing carried out by the Group’s Merwede Shipyard. This newbuild will be equipped with products and systems supplied by subsidiaries IHC Hydrohammer, IHC Hytop and IHC Handling Systems.

Also ordered is a multi-purpose offshore support ship for Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc of Louisiana USA. The vessel will be built at the Merwede Shipyard for delivery in the third quarter of 2009.

Despite the apparent glut of orders, IHC Holland Merwede is advising that building capacity for standard dredging equipment is available from early next year and slipway slots for custom build ships can be had from 2009.