Royal IHC names 2300m3 TSHD LESSE

On Thursday 23 May, the naming ceremony for the LESSE, a custom-built 2,300m³ trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD), took place at Royal IHC’s partner yard MTG Dolphin BV in Varna, Bulgaria. The vessel is the newest addition to the fleet of Baggerbedrijf de Boer – Dutch Dredging and is based on the success of IHC-built TSHDs ALBATROS and MAHURY (delivered in 2013 and 2015 respectively). The ceremony was performed by Mrs. Henny Korteweg, the spouse of Dutch Dredging’s commissioner, Mr. Leendert Korteweg.

The vessel is designed to maintain sea and inland waterways, as well as perform land reclamation. It is equipped with the latest electronic system to improve positioning, sounding and execution of dredging work. With a dredging depth of 30m below the waterline and a hopper capacity of 2,300m³, the LESSE is extremely efficient and can be deployed worldwide.

The TSHD was successfully launched in Varna on 27 November 2018 and special attention was paid during the design phase to reduce operational costs by ensuring maximum uptime. Such design considerations included the application of more wear-resistant materials and use of maintenance-free equipment on board. 

“As a family business, Dutch Dredging is happy to invest in sustainable relationships,” says CEO Kees van de Graaf Jr. “We have enjoyed the cooperation in Bulgaria so far and are proud of our construction team, which conducted the local supervision. In addition, we have been honoured by Mrs. Henny Korteweg, who is of great value to both our family and company.”

IHC Director Dredging Market André Kik adds: “We are proud to have developed and built such an innovative ship in close collaboration with Dutch Dredging, incorporating the latest solutions such as the Plumigator®. The construction of the LESSE demonstrates our ability to supply competitive and groundbreaking ships in this market.”