Birth of Dutch twins

Royal Boskalis Westminster NV acquires two identical trailing suction hopper dredgers

In the closing months of 2007, the renowned Dutch dredging contractor Royal Boskalis Westminster NV ordered two identical trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHD) with a nominal hopper capacity of 12,000m3 from IHC Merwede. The operational emphasis for these vessels was to be on reclamation and sand transportation over long distances, and offshore work for the oil and gas industry. The first was built on the covered slipway of the IHC Offshore & Marine yard at Hardinxveld Giessendam, the second on the covered slipway of IHC Dredgers in Kinderdijk. The first ship received a traditional Boskalis name with the ‘-way’ ending: the GATEWAY. The other vessel tapped into another tradition with the name WILLEM VAN ORANJE.

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