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Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) here is taking steps to augment its fleet and as a part of the effort an agreement was signed in New Delhi on Thursday to acquire a trailer suction hopper dredger from a Dutch company, according to a press release.
The pact was signed in New Delhi by Capt S.S Tripathi, Chairman and Managing Director of the DCI, in the presence of Mr G.K. Vasan, Union Minister for Shipping, Mr K. Mohanadas, Secretary (Shipping), Mr J.J Roodenburg, Deputy Head of Mission, the Netherlands Embassy, and other senior officials of DCI and IHC Dredgers B.V.
The trailer suction hopper dredger, with a capacity of 5500 Cu.M, will be designed and constructed by the Dutch company and will cost Rs 500 crore.
Earlier, in 2010, DCI signed a contract with IHC Dredgers B.V for construction of two TSHDs of 5500 Cu.M capacity each at a total cost of Rs 1,000 crore.
Delivery, funding
The vessels are scheduled to be delivered in December 2012 and June 2013. At present, the preparation of design and construction of drawings are in progress. The dredgers are being funded by the DCI from internal accruals and also external commercial borrowings. The three are medium sized dredgers most suited to the Hoogly River dredging in Kokata port, adds the release.
Recently, DCI has taken delivery of a cutter suction dredger constructed at Mazagaon Dock Ltd, Mumbai, at a cost of Rs 275 crore. The construction of a back hoe dredger at the De Donge shipyard in the Netherlands at a cost of Rs 125 crore is completed and the vessel is being sent to India. The two dredgers have been funded solely from internal resources.
DCI owns 10 trailer suction hopper dredgers, three cutter suction dredgers, three survey launches and a tug besides ancillary craft. With the acquisition of new dredgers, some of the old ones will be phased out, adds the release. The DCI is also recruiting additional manpower to operate the dredgers. In future, higher capacity dredgers will be acquired to meet the dredging requirements of ports with deeper draft.
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