Successful launch ceremony for backhoe dredger
The launch took place at the shipyard of its cooperation partner, NMC, in Nieuw-Lekkerland, the Netherlands
The 60.2m-long and 23m-wide vessel has a total installed power of 3,000kW and offers daytime accommodation for ten people. IHC Merwede is building the vessel for Autoridad del Canal de Panama (ACP).
With the diesel-hydraulic modified Komatsu PC5500 excavator, the dredger has a maximum dredging depth of 19.5m with a 13.5m3 bucket.
The contract for the design, construction and delivery of the backhoe dredger was signed between ACP and IHC Global Production in April 2011 and the vessel will be transported to Panama in the fourth quarter of 2012.
It will initially be used for the expansion of the Panama Canal and subsequently for its maintenance.
