A new dredger, the first of its kind and built by Adyard Abu Dhabi, has been commissioned for operation in the UAE, a top company official said.
The company has bid for rights to build two more large dredgers.
"It is the first dredger built by Adyard with technology from Ellicott Dredges of the United States. We have bid for two more dredgers, three times the size of the first one," said Jim Masterton, general manager of the oil and gas division at Adyard.
"We expect more contracts to build such dredgers locally," he told Gulf News yesterday.
The dredger, which took four months to build, was sold to a private party, he said.
Adyard is joint venture of Oman-based Topaz Energy and Marine Ltd and private shareholders in the UAE. Its operational headquarters is in Dubai.
"The Ellicott Dredges Division of Baltimore Dredges announces the commissioning of its first series 1170 Model Dragon Cutter Suction Dredge, the Embarka, to be operated in the UAE," a statement from Ellicott said.
Ellicott could have built this medium dredger in its Maryland factory in the United States, instead it built it locally at Adyard.
"Ellicott's objectives were to give the new owner, a party new to dredging and dredging technology, and without a shipyard or local crews, the greatest possible chance of success with the least number of headaches," said Paul Quinn, director of international sales for Ellicott Dredges Division.
"The objectives were well met, minimising the expenses for transportation and reassembly of the portable dredge upon arrival in the UAE. The owners took possession of the equipment afloat at jetty side."
The Ellicott model is an updated version of the powerful dredger that has been hugely popular in the Middle East for years. The machine, equipped with a 16-inch, 400-metre suction line, is capable of excavating more than 400 cubic metres of fine sand per hour when operated on 1,500 metres of pipeline.
The Ellicott model is perfect for use in the Gulf and is designed with a unique pin-tooth cutter.
