The Netherlands: Launching and Name-giving of ‘Victor Horta’

The naming and launching ceremony for the 5,000m³ gravel trailer VICTOR HORTA took place on 15 December 2010 at the Verenigde Scheepswerf Heusden shipyard in Heusden, The Netherlands. IHC Merwede is building the ship for DEME Building Materials, part of the DEME Group (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering NV). The ceremony was performed by Mrs Rachel Brett, the wife of Mr Bill Brett, Chairman of the Brett Group, the largest independent UK-based construction and building materials company.

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 one of Belgium’s famous architects and pioneer of the Art Nouveau style. Victor Horta (1861-1947) designed several notable buildings, such as Hotel Tassel in Brussels, the first significant expression of Art Nouveau in architecture at the end of the 19th century. The commissioning of the new gravel trailer is expected to take place in 2011.

The VICTOR HORTA is suitable for the extraction of sand and gravel from the sea for supply to the construction industry. Its design is a further evolution of the equally 5,000 m3 capacity sand and gravel trailer CHARLEMAGNE, commissioned by IHC Merwede to DBM in 2002.

With its powerful submersible pump, the VICTOR HORTA will be able to extract sand and gravel from a depth of 60 metres below sea level. The vessel has been specially designed to enter, with a full load of 10,000 tonnes, Europe’s main landing ports with a relatively reduced water depth. The vessel is equipped with a state-of-the-art facility for dry discharge with a boom conveyor at a rate of 2,400 tonnes/OH.

The “Victor Horta”, along with its sister “Charlemagne” sets new dimensions in marine gravel winning, opening the way to deeper concessions in more environmentally friendly areas that have less impact on coastal erosion. With the “Victor Horta” DBM will even improve its services, its productions and quality, which definitely creates win-win situations for their customers, who will be given the opportunity to be the best and most competitive suppliers in their markets.

In the course of the last decade, DBM acquired long-term concessions and dredging rights in French, UK, Belgian, German and Polish waters. The availability of these concessions offers a long-term perspective, which is very important for their clients. Moreover, the availability of two modern high-capacity gravel trailers offers DBM’s clients the perspective of reliability and high productions at all times. It enables an even more flexible approach towards their customers with increased guarantees of supplying within the time constraints set.

With the “Victor Horta” DBM will even improve its services, its productions and quality, which definitely creates win-win situations for their customers, who will be given the opportunity to be the best and most competitive suppliers in their markets.

A new gravel processing plant with an annual capacity of 1,5 million Tons has been set up in Flushing, in The Netherlands. Long-standing partnerships have been created with French, British, and German construction industry partners.

DBM is opening additional processing plants in Amsterdam as well as in Dunkirk, France and last but not least in Ostend, Belgium in order to take a much bigger market share in the Benelux. DBM will definitely and thoroughly intensify its marketing efforts on the Benelux markets, based on its new concessions and extra capacity available. In our processing plants, additional crushing units will be installed to meet tailor-made customer demand in a wide range of grades at all times.

Additional information

Main features

Name VICTOR HORTA

Type gravel trailer

Customer DEME NV

Builder IHC Dredgers BV

Length overall 99.9m

Length between perpendiculars 92.5m

Breadth 20.8m

Depth 9.2m

Draught at dredging mark 8.5m

Dredging depth 40/50/60m

Hopper capacity 5,000m³

Suction pipe diameter 700mm

Total power 5,990kW

Speed 13.4kn

Accommodation 15 people

About DEME

The Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME was established in 1991 from the merger between Dredging International and Baggerwerken Decloedt. A global market leader, the Group diversified from dredging operations and reclamation to hydraulic engineering projects at sea, services to the oil and gas companies, wreck clearance, installation of offshore wind farms and environmental activities such as soil remediation, sludge recycling and revalidation of brownfields. The Group owns one of the most up-to-date, highly technological and versatile fleets for dredging and hydraulic engineering, with vessels and ships of all sizes and for any operational area. DEME employs more than 4,000 people, The Flemish Group is implementing more than 70 projects in 50 countries simultaneously around the world. The current investment programme in high-tech equipment will allow DEME to face the future with a most efficient and modern fleet. DEME’s current order portfolio values in excess of € 2.2 billion. The Group anticipates a turnover of € 1.8 billion in 2010.

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Source: deme, December 15, 2010