Marine Projects Vessel News Roundup | October 20 – US Army lock maintenance workboats, electric dredgers for Brazil and more

Delivered vessels include a turbine installation platform for a Chinese operator, an electric dredger for a Brazilian mining company, and a lock maintenance workboat for operation in Pennsylvania’s inland waters. A Dutch builder launches the second dredger in a series ordered by the same customer. Finally, design work will soon begin on a new crane barge for Michigan’s St Mary’s River.

US Army Corps of Engineers takes delivery of new workboat

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Pittsburgh District has taken delivery of a new workboat that will be used to support maintenance of navigation locks and dams along the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers in Pennsylvania.

The aptly named Allegheny River was built by Alabama-based Silver Ships. The custom-designed workboat measures 40 feet (12 metres) long and is powered by two Suzuki 350hp (260kW) outboard engines.

The vessel is also fitted with Furuno navigation electronics, a Westerbeke 20kW generator, Maxilift cranes, and an A-frame.

Another two workboats from the same series will also be delivered to the USACE Pittsburgh District.

Vale receives first of four electric dredgers

Netherlands-based Royal IHC has commissioned the first in a series of four electrically-powered cutter suction dredgers (CSDs) ordered by Brazilian mining company Vale.

The dredgers will be operated in the Gelado Dam, where they will be reprocessing iron ore tailings.

The three remaining CSDs will be commissioned in the coming months.

China’s Three Gorges Group adds WTIV to fleet

Chinese conglomerate the Three Gorges Group has taken delivery of a jackup wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) from Huangpu Wenchong Shipbuilding.

The CCS-classed Baihetan has a length of 126 metres, a beam of 50 metres, a full load displacement of 37,000 tonnes, and a total deck area of 4,200 square metres. The WTIV can operate in a water depth of 70 metres and can lift up to 2,000 tonnes.

The vessel will be used primarily for the installation of 8MW and 15MW offshore wind turbines.

Jan De Nul water injection dredger launched in the Netherlands

Dutch shipbuilder Neptune Marine has launched a new water injection dredger (WID) ordered by the Jan De Nul Group.

The dredger has been christened Cosette after Cosette Goethals, granddaughter of company chairman Jan Pieter Jozef De Nul.

Cosette is a sister of Pancho, which was delivered to Jan De Nul earlier this year. Both WIDs are fitted with dual exhaust gas filtration systems and selective catalytic reduction systems for reducing emissions.

US Army Corps of Engineers selects Texas shipyard for new crane barge

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has awarded Southwest Shipyard of Houston, Texas a contract for the design, construction, testing, and delivery of a new crane barge.

The 150- by 50-foot (45- by 15-metre) vessel will be deployed on the St Mary’s River in Michigan, where it will perform lock and hydropower facility maintenance. It will also support channel maintenance and will be capable of responding to maritime incidents such as vessel groundings and anchor drags.

The new vessel will replace the slightly smaller crane barge Harvey, which has been in operation on the St Mary’s River since 1961.