Launching and name-giving of ‘Victor Horta’

IHC Merwede is building the ship for DEME Building Materials, part of the Belgian DEME Group (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV).

The contract for the design, construction and delivery of the 99.9 m long vessel was signed in 2008 between DEME NV and IHC Dredgers BV. The commissioning of the new gravel trailer is expected to take place in 2011.  "Victor Horta" is suitable for the extraction of sand and gravel from the sea, from a depth of 60 metres below sea level, for supply to the construction industry, as DEME states. The vessel has been specially designed to enter, with a full load of 10,000 tonnes,   Europe’s main landing ports with a relatively reduced water depth. The vessel is equipped with a state-of-the-art facility for dry discharge with a boom conveyor at a rate of 2,400 tonnes/OH.
Its design is a further evolution of the equally 5,000 m3 capacity sand and gravel trailer "Charlemagne", commissioned by IHC Merwede to DBM in 2002.