Damen delivers four more dredgers to Iraq
Netherlands based Damen Dredging Equipment has delivered four cutter suction dredgers to the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources.
The Ministry already had several Damen dredgers in its fleet and will use the newbuils for maintenance dredging on the rivers and throughout the central plains.
The Ministry of Water Resources is an autonomous body within the Government of the Republic of Iraq. Its main task is water management in a country where water is an essential resource and of vital importance in social and economic activities. As the country has little rainfall, the Ministry manages the distribution of water and the maintenance of the infrastructure. An extensive network of irrigation canals and dams has to be maintained, water wells are drilled and ground water levels are monitored.
The four cutter suction dredgers all are Damen standard dredgers, two of type CSD450 and two of type CSD500. All have been fitted with options such as anchor booms, a stern swivel, a jib crane and a non-return valve in the discharge pipeline. Extensive spare parts packages and operator training has also been arranged. n 2008 Damen also supplied four dredgers of the same types which are all now operating to the Ministry’s satisfaction at various locations in Iraq.
The cutter suction dredgers will be used to clean up and maintain neglected waterways, rivers and lakes. The dredgers can work at maximum dredging depths of -12m and -14m respectively and are able to pump 3,000 m3/h to 4,000 m3/h of mixture per hour. The dredged silt can be re-used on the fertile plains in central Iraq.
The dredgers of standardised and proven design were built at Damen production facilities in The Netherlands, Poland and Dubai. Due to Damen’s philosophy of series production and delivery from stock, the first dredger left the shipyard for Iraq within weeks of the order being contracted. All the dredgers have now been transported to Iraq by road, with each one requiring nine trucks for its transport.
This project was executed by Damen in close cooperation with partners Dutch Union Trading (DUT). DUT has arranged for efficient reassembly and recommissioning of the modular dredgers after their arrival in Iraq. DUT also provides warranty services and technical and operational assistance to the Ministry of Water Resources. This successful cooperation will enable the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and Iraqi lakes to be dredged and maintained more efficiently.
