(PANAMA CITY, Fla.) — Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) has announced a strategic partnership with Royal IHC to design and construct a highly automated medium-class hopper dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
The vessel, contracted for the Department of Defense, is slated for delivery in 2027. The dredge will be constructed at ESG’s Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities in Florida.
Building on a history of successful collaboration, ESG and Royal IHC aim to deliver an unparalleled dredging vessel, incorporating ground-breaking design, engineering, dredging equipment and automation systems.
“Our partnership with Royal IHC exemplifies our longstanding commitment to working with the best in the industry to deliver superior vessels to our customers,” said Joey D’Isernia, CEO of Eastern Shipbuilding Group. “Our extensive experience in building highly mission capable (trailing suction hopper dredges) in the U.S. positions us well to construct this exceptional vessel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.”
The new hopper dredge will enter the USACE’s Ready Reserve Fleet and will play a critical role in the Corps’ navigation mission and provide for safe, reliable, effective and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation systems for vital national security, commerce and recreation needs.
The vessel will replace the 57-year-old dredge McFarland based in the Corps’ Philadelphia District. McFarland is one of four oceangoing hopper dredges owned and operated by USACE.
Vessel specifications:
Length: 320 feet
Beam: 72 feet
Hull depth: 28 feet
Draft (hopper empty): 11.3 feet
Draft (hopper full): 25.6 feet
Maximum hopper capacity: 6,000 cubic yards
Maximum dredge depth with suction tube at 45 degrees: 65 feet
– Eastern Shipbuilding Group
