ULJANIK Shipyard on 30th October 2012 delivered to the Luxembourg company Jan De Nul S.A. Capellen D.D. Luxembourg yard 496 named «Pedro Alvares Cabral». It is the first of two contracted Trailing Suction Hopper Dredgers of 26,000 tonnes deadweight, length 147.6 meters and width 30 meters. The delivery documents were signed by Mr. Walter Dietens, project leader in the Technical Department of JDN Group and Serđo Pajković, manager of the Sales, Project and Calculation Department in ULJANIK Shipyard.
Hoppers are very complex floating objects for the performing of maritime works and are used for suction and transportation of material from the sea bottom. In contrast to the four previously delivered Self Propelled Cutter Suction Dredgers, Uljanik workers have taken upon themselves the entire project and the construction of the ship. Thus, the investment in technology and knowledge that was required for the previously constructed ships (cutters) became an invaluable experience which has now enabled Uljanik to independently build dredgers in their entirety. This approach is in accordance with Uljanik's orientation towards niches of special ships with additional value, as for example ships for the transportation of heavy cargoes or so-called ships for the supply of platforms and anchor manipulations, rescue-at-sea as well as offering aid-at-sea, which Uljanik now can build through its own know-how.
The ship and the working equipment on «Pedro» are driven by two main diesel engines, each having a power of 7200 kW, while the depth from which the material will be sucked lies in the 42-50 meter range. Figuratively, the working characteristics of the ship can be roughly presented in this way: its capacity of 14,000 cubic meters is enough to cover a football pitch to a height of three meters in only one emptying, or for five loadings and unloadings that may be accomplished during the course of one day the football pitch would be covered with blanket of material with a height of 14 meters. As another example such as «beach construction»: with two loadings and unloadings this hopper could cover a beach 1 km long and 30 meters wide with material to a height of 1 meter.
It should be stressed how this shipbuilding project exceeds the shipbuilding framework in the wider region and Uljanik, by constructing and delivering these ships, confirms that it belongs to the small group of global shipyards which could offer to build, or have already built, such a floating object. The very good collaboration with all the shipowner's representatives and their technical teams should be stressed, just as the collaboration with Bureau Veritas inspectors.
This is the fourth delivery in Uljanik this year since during the course of 2012 Uljanik has already delivered a ship for the transportation of bulk cargo as well as two recent transportation ships destined for the Caspian Sea. The contract for the construction of «Pedro Alvares Cabral» was signed in July 2010, while the ship was launched in the middle of February of this current year. After the delivery this ship will sail under the flag of Luxembourg.