At the Damen Dredging yard in the Netherlands, representatives of Metalkol have successfully completed the technical inspection of their newly acquired Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD) 500. Following extensive inspections and testing, the customised CSD was approved for delivery. It will be transported to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where it will be deployed in a mining operation.

Prior to acceptance, the standard stock CSD500 was configured to meet the specific requirements of the project using a range of proven Damen options. These include anchor booms for swing anchor handling, a spud carriage pontoon to increase the dredger's swing width, an extended dredging depth capability of -16 metres, a vacuum relief valve, a discharge valve and a package of dredging instrumentation.

“Our client required a state-of-the-art dredger suited to a remote location and high levels of uptime. We enjoyed a number of fruitful discussions as we worked towards a suitable solution that incorporated the requirements of the operations team. We are pleased that, due to our stock building programme, we have been able to fully customise the CSD within a few weeks of the order,” said Frederick Vandepitte, Damen Regional Director.

Following the successful acceptance, the CSD500 is being prepared for transportation to Africa. In line with Damen's modular dredger concept, the vessel will be disassembled into modules, optimised for efficient transport by road and water, as well as assembly at the mining site.