Largest Dutch cutter suction dredger named
Dutch contractor Van Oords largest self-propelled cutter suction dredger Athena has been named and launched at the IHC Merwede shipyard in Kinderdijk.
The Athena is the largest ever cutter suction dredger built in the Netherlands for a Dutch dredging company and is also one of the largest cutter suction dredgers in the world. The vessel measures 131.5m LOA, with a beam of 27.8m.Total installed power of 24,650 kW includes cutter power of 7,000 kW. Athena will be operational in October of this year.
The vessel is Van Oord’s first self-propelled cutter suction dredger. The ceremony was performed by Mrs A.M. van Oord-Groen, the wife of former chairman and supervisory director of Van Oord, Mr J.G. van Oord Sr.
The contract for the design, construction and delivery of the vessel was signed on 4 September 2008, after which the keel was laid on 19 February 2010. The vessel is equipped with the latest dredging technology, which makes it suitable for working on hard ground and rock down to a depth of more than 32m, discharging through a 1,000mm diameter pipe.
The designers paid particular attention to ergonomics and living conditions on board. For example, the entire accommodation section is suspended in order to counteract vibrations. Once it is operational, the Athena will be provided with a Green Passport and a Clean Ship Notation, both from Bureau Veritas. It is the first dredger in the world to be awarded a Clean Ship Notation.
The name Athena is in line with Van Oord’s tradition of naming its cutter suction dredgers after heroes and gods from Greek or Roman mythology. The Greek goddess Athena is known not only as the goddess of wisdom but also as the goddess of war. This new vessel is indeed a powerful weapon for Van Oord in its battle with the competition.
At the end of 2010, Van Oord awarded the contract for the construction of a second powerful, self-propelled cutter suction dredger, Artemis, a sister ship for the Athena. The construction of the Athena and Artemis forms part of Van Oord’s massive investment programme for the period 2007-2015, amounting to almost €2bn.
