IHC launches ‘Victor Horta’

IHC Merwede is building the ship for the DEME Building Materials, part of the DEME Group (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV) in Belgium. The contract for the design, construction and delivery of the vessel was signed on 16 May 2008 between DEME NV and IHC Dredgers BV. The keel was laid on 19 March 2010.

The vessel is named after Belgium’s famous Art Nouveau architect, Victor Horta (1861-1947) who designed several notable buildings, such as Hotel Tassel in Brussels. The commissioning of the new gravel trailer is expected to take place in 2011.

The 99.9m long, 20.8m wide newbuilding is designed for the extraction of sand and gravel from the sea for the construction industry and its design is based on the

Charlemagne

sand and gravel dredging ship supplied by IHC Merwede in 2002. With its powerful submersible pump, the

Victor Horta

will be able to extract sand and gravel from a depth of 60m below sea level. The vessel is equipped with a state-of-the-art facility for dry discharge with a boom conveyor.