Order for first marine aggregate dredger

The vessel, which will be built at the shipbuilder’s Romanian facility in Galati, will be capable of extracting sand and gravel from the seabed in water depths of up to 55m. The 103.5m-long MAD 3500, with a deadweight of almost 7,000 tonnes and a loaded speed of about 12 knots, is the result of extensive market research and close cooperation between buyer and builder. Both companies are aware that the marine aggregates sector has an ageing fleet at a time of increased focus on sources at sea.    
Laurence Dagley, a director of Cemex UK Marine Limited, outlined some of the company’s original requirements. The design incorporates all the safety, efficiency, environmental and onboard comfort features associated with a vessel intended for 21st century operation. Exceptional seakeeping characteristics maximise uptime in the challenging conditions of the North Sea, while the dredger’s specification will enable it to deliver about 20% more aggregates per trip than the current vessel, Sand Heron, which it will replace. The new vessel will be classed by Lloyd’s Register with the classification society’s ECO notation.