JdN signs contract for five workboats

The Jan De Nul Group in Belgium has signed contracts with Tianjin Xinhe Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co Ltd in Tianjin, China, for the construction of five work boats. The workboats are similar to the DN 46, built by the same shipyard in 2006. The vessels have a length of 28m, breadth of 12.3m, and will be designed to transport fuel oil in accordance with the most stringent requirements with double hulled fuel tanks.

A hydraulic knuckle boom crane with a capacity of 260 tonnes will also be fitted and, for anchor handling, a winch with a maximum pulling force of approximately 240 tonnes will be installed on deck. The vessels will be powered by two 559 kW diesel engines each powering a propeller resulting in a speed of about 8 knots and a bollard pull of about 17 tonnes.

A small deckhouse is also included in the design and the vessels are suitable for unrestricted (deep-sea) operation. The five workboats will be used with company’s Ibn Battuta class self-propelled cutter suction dredgers, which are under construction in Pula, Croatia. The first will be delivered in mid-2009.

Jan De Nul Group has also ordered five tugs which, together with the workboats, will be deployed with the Ibn Battuta class cutter suction dredgers. The Damen Stan tug 1606 type were ordered from Damen Shipyards and will be built in Dubai by Albwardy Shipyard. They will have a length of about 16.5m and a beam of about 5.5m. Propulsion power is two 448 kW diesel engines giving a speed of 10 knots and a bollard pull of 15.5 tons, and will be delivered in 2009 and 2010.