Boskalis and Royal IHC reach agreement on contract for a 31,000 m3 TSHD

Boskalis and Royal IHC have signed the contract for the construction of a large trailing suction hopper dredger. The signing of the contract marks the final go-ahead for the construction of this mega hopper. The new TSHD with a hopper volume of 31,000 m3 will be built at Royal IHC's yard in Krimpen a/d IJssel (Netherlands).

The cooperation between Boskalis and Royal IHC for the construction of this state-of-the art trailing suction hopper dredger already took concrete form in 2020, when an agreement was reached for the design and engineering of the TSHD. From then on, full co-creation worked on an optimal and future-proof design of this custom-built trailing suction hopper dredger. For instance, the vessel is prepared to use methanol as fuel. The megahopper is expected to be delivered in mid-2026.

Royal IHC CEO Jan-Pieter Klaver, when signing the letter of intent in June 2023, already expressed his thanks to Boskalis for its confidence in Royal IHC. "As far as we are concerned, the cooperation with Boskalis symbolises how we want to serve our clients. We are passionate about using our craftsmanship and drive to continuously innovate to develop effective and sustainable solutions that meet our clients' needs." 

Theo Baartmans, member of the Board of Management at Boskalis, underlines this: "We are delighted to have reached the final award after a careful process, thus perpetuating the close relationship between Boskalis and Royal IHC. Moreover, thanks to the innovative design and craftsmanship of Royal IHC and its partners, by building this megahopper we are taking an important step forward in future-proofing our fleet." 

The collaboration between Royal IHC and Boskalis goes back a long way. The most recently delivered vessels are the megacutters KRIOS (2020) and the HELIOS (2017). Previously, Royal IHC delivered trailing suction hopper dredgers such as the GATEWAY, CRESTWAY, WILLEM VAN ORANJE and PRINS DER NEDERLANDEN.