The naming and launch ceremony for the 24,650kW self-propelled cutter suction dredger, 'Athena', took place on February 12 at the IHC Merwede Shipyard in Kinderdijk, the Netherlands.
'Athena'is the largest cutter suction dredger to be built in the Netherlands for a Dutch dredging company, and the third largest cutter suction dredger in the world.
The ship is being built by IHC Dredgers, part of IHC Merwede, and is the first self-propelled cutter suction dredger for Van Oord. The ship will be operational in late 2011 and is suitable for working in hard soil to a depth of 25 metres.