The new heavy-duty cutter suction dredger (CSD) ‘Al Jarraf’, which means ‘The Dredging Vessel” in Arabic language, was launched today at ASL Shipyard in Singapore. The owner, Q.S.C. (Middle East Dredging Company, formerly known as Qatar Dredging Company (QDC)Qatar Dredging Company (QDC), will register the Vessel in Qatar, where a formal name-giving ceremony is scheduled at the time of commissioning early next year. The new cutter dredger will be an additional and powerful competitive tool for MEDCO in future infrastructure projects in the Gulf region and beyond.
MEDCO’s Chairman Mr. Abdulrahman Abdullah Abdulghani said that ” MEDCO is currently involved in the preparation and tendering process for two major, upcoming projects in the Gulf region – the New Doha Port Project Access Channel Dredging & Outer Breakwaters and the Qatar Bahrain Causeway Project, for which ‘Al Jarraf’ will be a major asset.
MEDCO invested heavily in ‘Al Jarraf’ & its auxiliary equipment’ to be well prepared for these major projects in Qatar”.
Two basic characteristics of the new CSD ‘Al Jarraf’ qualify specifically for assignments in the Gulf region. The new dredger is self-propelled, allowing it to sail on its own power between various working locations within the Gulf, without requiring the assistance of powerful tugboats. At the same time, the new cutter dredger is of the heavy-duty type – featuring no less than 12.860 kW of total installed power. The combination of these two characteristics is a MEDCO trump card for competitive dredging hard rock formations that are typical in Gulf waters.
The 102 x 21 meter dredger has two additional advantages. An integrated barge loading facility provides extra flexibility, as ‘Al Jarraf’ will be able to discharge both through the traditional floating pipeline and directly into a barge that would moor alongside the dredger. Secondly, the discharge power has significantly increased in comparison with the current MEDCO flag- dredger, ‘Al Mahaar’. This increased discharge power allows for covering significantly larger distances between the dredging area and the reclamation area when pumping ashore.
CSD ‘Al Jarraf’ is able to dredge the sea bed at depths up to a maximum of 30 m. Several high-tech developments on ‘Al Jarraf’ have been realized through research and development by MEDCO’s partner and shareholder DEME, one of the leading dredging and marine groups in the world.
About MEDCO
‘Middle East Dredging Company Q.S.C.’ (MEDCO) was established in Qatar in June 2004. The company is very rapidly growing and operates a proprietary fleet of modern dredging vessels of various types (cutter suction dredgers and trailing suction hopper dredger). MEDCO focuses on capital dredging, port development and land reclamation. In the past years, MEDCO successfully completed the Pearl Qatar project in Qatar, the New Doha Airport Reclamation and Rock Revetment Project in Qatar, the Al Raha Beach project for Aldar Properties in Abu Dhabi; dredging works for the Ruwais Sulphur Terminal extension in Abu Dhabi; the Aldar Yas Island Tunnel trenching and channel deepening in Abu Dhabi; the new Khalifa port dredging, the Ras Ghanada/Al Sadr to Taweelah channels in Abu Dhabi and is presently carrying out the reclamation of the 45 million m3 platform for the new refinery of Takreer in Ruwais, Abu Dhabi. MEDCO is a partnership between the Qatari company United Development Company (UDC), Qatar Holding, and the Belgian ‘Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering’ (DEME) group – one of the leading dredging companies in the world.
About DEME
The Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME was established in 1991 from the merger between Dredging International and Baggerwerken Decloedt. A global market leader, the Group diversified from dredging operations and reclamation to hydraulic engineering projects at sea, services to the oil and gas companies, wreck clearance, installation of offshore wind farms and environmental activities such as soil remediation, sludge recycling and revalidation of brownfields. The Group owns one of the most up-to-date, highly technological and versatile fleets for dredging and hydraulic engineering, with vessels and ships of all sizes and for any operational area. DEME employs more than 4,000 people, The Flemish Group is implementing more than 70 projects simultaneously around the world. DEME’s annual turnover amounts to € 1.5 billion., The current investment programme in high-tech equipment for a total amount of € 1.5 billion will allow DEME to face the future with a most efficient and modern fleet. DEME’s current order portfolio values in excess of € 2.2 billion. The Group anticipates a turnover of € 1.8 billion in 2010.
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Source: deme, October 27, 2010