Two cutter suction dredgers, type CSD500, are almost ready at Damen Shipyards Cape Town. The standard dredgers are prefabricated shipbuilding kits, which have been constructed in South Africa. They have been built as per the Damen philosophy to build for stock to meet customer demand for a proven design at a reduced delivery time.

“Damen Shipyards Group owns yards around the world where standard dredgers are built to ensure an efficient delivery process at the best possible price-quality ratio. Our yard in Cape Town, which joined the Damen Group in 2007, serves the whole of sub-Saharan Africa” Mr Friso Visser, Regional Sales Director, says. “As Africa is booming, the yard in Cape Town is a perfect location for these CSD500’s”.

The CSD500 dredgers have been built in Cape Town, making use of the “Prefabricated Shipbuilding Kit” principle. This kit has been supplied by Damen Dredging Equipment (The Netherlands) and includes all drawings, the dredge pump and its drive, the hydraulically operated winches and cutter unit, the control cabin as well as the hydraulic and electric installation. All items were shipped to Cape Town in containers. The South African yard constructed the pontoons and installed all components. The first dredger has just been commissioned by a DDE field service engineer.

Damen’s traditionally strong commitment in Africa combined with the strategic location of the yard has stimulated sales in the region.