Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards on January 24 delivered three cutter suction dredgers of its CSD 500 series to the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) in Azerbaijan.

MES ordered the three Damen dredgers to avert a repetition of the events that have occurred as result of the Kura River bursting its banks in previous years. The CSDs will be used to clean up, deepen and maintain the Kura water system. The three vessels come from a successful and long-standing Damen series of cutter suction dredgers. Each vessel measures 49.1 metres in length overall and 7.95 metres across the beam, with a draught of 1.0 metre.

The dredgers can work up to a maximum dredging depth of 14 metres and are able to pump 4,000 cubic metres of water/soil mixture per hour. They are outfitted with a large number of features to enhance dredging efficiency, safety and comfortable working conditions for the vessel’s crew, including day and night accommodations, anchor booms and spud carriage pontoons. A full communication package, dredge pump performance monitoring instrumentation and a position visualisation Navguard system are installed in the spacious operating cabin. In addition, Damen will supply basic spare parts and training for the crew and dredge masters.

Damen’s philosophy of series production and delivery from stock meant it was possible to build, outfit, deliver and commission all three dredgers within six months after the contract became effective. The three dredgers will shortly be moved to Nefchala, where the crew will be trained. Afterwards the dredgers will commence their work at three different locations on the Kura: Nefchala, Salayan and Sabirabad.