The second dredger of the latest class would join the DCI fleet by June 2013 and the third one by the initial months of 2014
DCI Dredge XIX, a latest trailer suction hopper dredger (TSHD) of the Dredging Corporation of India (DC), was dedicated to the nation on Dec. 22.At a ceremony organised at the Ennore Port, Union Shipping Minister G.K. Vasan dedicated the dredger that was procured at a cost of Rs. 528 crores from IHC Merwede, Netherlands, in the presence of Mr. P. K. Sinha, Secretary (Shipping), Capt. D. K. Mohanty, Chairman and Managing Director, DCI, Mr. N. Muruganandam, Join Secretary (Ports), Mr. Atulya Misra, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust, and Mr. M. A. Bhaskarachar, Chairman and Managing Director, Ennore Port.
Briefing the Media after the dedication ceremony, Mr. Vasan said: “Besides the latest addition of Dredge XIX in the fleet, DCI would get two more dredgers of same kind in the next two years and it would enhance its efficiency to take up 80 per cent of the maintenance dredging works of Indian ports.”
The second dredger of the latest class would join the DCI fleet by June 2013 and the third one by the initial months of 2014, he stated.
Elaborating on the new dredgers, Capt. Mohanty observed: “After a gap of 12 years, DCI is buying a dredger and I should be thankful to the Shipping Ministry for processing the request for more dredgers.”
Dredging Corporation of India, the premier dredging company of the country and the sixth largest in the world, owns a fleet of 14 dredgers. With the addition of three state-of-the-art dredgers, the strength would increase to 17.
The Memorandum of Understanding for the first two dredgers was signed in February 2010 with IHC Merwede, Netherlands, and the third one was signed last year. The total cost of the three dredgers is about Rs. 1,570 crores.
Dredge XIX is a Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) having a Hopper capacity of 5500 cubic metres. It has capacity to dredge up to a depth of 25 metres. Dredge XIX has a manoeuvring speed of 14.9 knots to operate in strong currents and has the capacity of delivering high productivity, reliability and effective dredging operation as well as low power consumption and operational cost.
It is fully equipped to deliver all kinds of marine services like maintenance dredging, shore pumping, rain bowing, beach nourishment and land reclamation.
It is also the first of its kind to have equipped with de-gassing system thereby enabling the dredger to dredge organic and gaseous soil. The dredger was launched at IHC yard at Rotterdam on April 2 and was taken over by Dredging Corporation of India on Nov.15. It arrived at Ennore Port on Dec. 20 after a long sea voyage. The dredger will be deployed at Ennore Port for the Capital Dredging Phase-II of the Port.
At present, DCI dredgers are engaged in Kolkata, Paradip, Ennore and Kochin Ports. Recently, Kandla Port also awarded its maintenance dredging works to DCI. Besides the major ports and non-major ports, DCI also carries out dredging works for Indian Navy and shipyards.
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