Asian shipbuilding gets off to a great start
Royal IHC’s Asian newbuild proposition is attracting significant interest from small as well as large contractors. As the first vessel takes shape, COO Bert Jan ter Riet explains why.
In the first edition of Dredging Insights, Derk te Bokkel stated: “The dredging sector needs competitive construction facilities with manageable risks. Royal IHC is uniquely positioned to manage those risks. That’s our ‘reason to be,’ and it needs to be competitively priced.”
To offer customers a strong alternative, Royal IHC partnered with Vietnamese shipyard Nam Trieu last year. Chief Operating Officer Bert Jan ter Riet elaborates: “Smaller, less complex vessels—where customers seek lower acquisition costs—can now be built in Vietnam. However, Nam Trieu is still in the process of restarting operations. For now, technically complex and larger vessels can only be built at our Dutch yard. That said, we aim to offer such vessels from Nam Trieu in the coming years. We also remain flexible and always open to collaborating with customers at third-party shipyards.”
The Dutch organisation and its partner yard have commenced their first project, assembling and pre-outfitting the first steel sections. Nam Trieu, located near Haiphong, features three slipways and a dock. The largest slipway is an impressive 320 metres long and 48 metres wide.
Scaling up to complex vessels
“In Vietnam, we are currently building an 80-meter trailing suction hopper dredger with a 2,300 m³ capacity for Baggerbedrijf De Boer / Dutch Dredging. The collaboration is progressing well; the ‘start cutting’ and ‘keel laying’ milestones are on schedule.”
Ter Riet is responsible for Royal IHC’s international shipbuilding strategy, developed alongside its Dutch newbuild operations. He took on the role of COO in March last year, bringing three decades of operational and commercial maritime experience.
We expect to be ready to build large, complex vessels in Nam Trieu by 2027 or 2028.
Bert Jan ter Riet - COO
“We deliberately selected this yard for its large slipway, which allows us to scale up to larger vessels in the future. After completing the trailing suction hopper dredger, we will be building several 126-meter cable-laying vessels for OMS, a key digital infrastructure provider. This structured approach—moving from 80 meters to 126 meters—will eventually enable us to construct vessels as complex as those currently built in Krimpen. We expect to be ready to build large, advanced vessels by 2027 or 2028.”
Lower CAPEX
One of Royal IHC’s key strengths is its commitment to high product quality. Could shifting to a different shipyard compromise this?
Ter Riet adds: “We maintain the same quality and benefits of our integrated construction approach. The team at Nam Trieu knows perfectly well how to build a ship, but our own experts oversee the production of complex components. They ensure the high standards our customers expect in outfitting, interior design, electrical installations, and the installation of dredging equipment. Our local team strengthens and coordinates each step of the project.”
Our own experts oversee the production of complex components. They ensure the high standards our customers expect from us.
Bert Jan ter Riet - COO
Preferred service provider for major contractors
Despite the advantages of international shipbuilding, Dutch shipyards remain valuable—particularly when shorter lead times are critical. This applies to fleet expansion projects or vessels with full (high-cost) financing, where an earlier operational start accelerates loan repayment.
“In the Netherlands, we build faster because we work more concurrently, with engineering and production overlapping to a greater extent.” Royal IHC’s international strategy aims to re-establish the company as the preferred service provider for major contractors. Ter Riet adds: “I am highly confident in this approach. There is significant interest in our new proposition. Royal IHC is getting back on track.”
Looking ahead
Meanwhile, work on the trailing suction hopper dredger at Nam Trieu is progressing steadily. “In March and April, painting of the sections will begin. Pipes have been ordered. Once the tanker currently being built on the slipway has been launched, our vessel will take its place. We expect it to launch in Q4 2025.”
Royal IHC is also planning to move part of its small-scale dredger production to Asia. “In India, we already have a construction company building dredging system components. We aim to expand this operation and start full-scale production of Beavers® there,” Ter Riet reveals. “I have high expectations for this. More details will follow in a next edition.”
Stay up to date with the latest insights about dredging
Wondering what we at Royal IHC are up to? Sign up for our newsletter where we highlight our latest innovations, new solutions and delve into market challenges.