Jan de Nul’s Dredger ‘Vasco da Gama’ damaged by fire

Press reports in The Netherlands say Jan de Nul’s mega trailing suction hopper dredger Vasco da Gama dredger has been damaged by fire, and could it be four months before the vessel is back in action.

“There is electrical damage in the engine control room”, a spokesman for the Belgian company told Thomson Financial News.

The news had fuelled talk that Boskalis could benefit from its competitor’s setback, with an Amsterdam-based trader saying this global capacity cut should underpin the group’s performance and reduces uncertainty on estimates.

The reduction of 33,000 m3 or about 3 pct of the total global capacity could mean that prices may go up again, increasing margins even further, according to the trader.

The report did not say when or where, or how the fire occured, or provide many details about the extent of the damage.

Brief specs Vasco da Gama:
Hopper capacity: 33,000 cbm
Dimensions: 201,40 x 36.2m
Suction pipe diameter: 1,400 mm
Deadweight: 59,000 ton
Propulsion power: 2 x 14,700 kW
Speed: 16,3 kts

source: Dredging News Online