Conflict avoidance

Conflict and opposition – an inevitable response to any major dredging project? A new concept says it doesn’t have to be that way. Felicity Landon reports.

"Dredging is always seen as conflicting with and against nature – but it can be so much more," René Kolman, IADC. Credit: Jim Wilson

Jan De Nul channels its focus

The Jan De Nul Group says it is adjusting its investment strategy and focusing on niche markets more than ever. In the past seven years the company has considerably expanded its fleet.

Earlier this year, the multipurpose Isaac Newton was launched at the Uljanik Brodogradiliste shipyard in Croatia. The vessel can be used for installing subsea cables, trench dredging and subsea rock installation. Jan De Nul says the construction of multipurpose vessels is important in meeting clients’ requests to have a project executed by one contractor or one vessel.

The company has also placed an order for a large self-propelled cutter suction dredger at the same shipyard. The total installed diesel power on this vessel will be more than 40,000 kW – which is around 50% more powerful than the J.F.J. De Nul, currently the largest cutter suction dredger in the world. This will make the vessel ‘the ultimate tool’ for dredging hard rock, says the company.

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