Building materials specialist Cemex UK Marine has signed a contract for the delivery of the first Damen marine aggregate dredger (MAD).
The vessel, which will be built at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania, is designed to extract sand and gravel from the sea bed up to depths of 55 metres, including in challenging North Sea conditions.
The design has an overall length of 103.5 metres, a deadweight of just under 7,000 tonnes and a speed at loaded draught of 12 knots
Boasting Lloyd's Register ECO-notation, the MAD will deliver an extra 20 per cent of aggregates per trip than CEMEX's existing vessel Sand Heron.
The bow is enclosed, protecting deck equipment and reducing green water ingress into the cargo hold.
All dredge pipes are above main deck level for safety, easy inspection and crane reach.
The MAD is scheduled to be delivered at the end of 2019.
