World's biggest dredger to do heavy lifting in Panama Canal

THE D'ARTAGNAN, the world's most powerful self-propelled, heavy duty, cutter suction dredger, has arrived at the Panama Canal to join the expansion of the waterway linking the Pacific with the Atlantic.


The D'Artagnan, able to dredge hard rock locations that previously required drilling and blasting, will complete the dredging of the waterway's Pacific entrance that will ultimately link the new Pacific locks with the canal's existing Gaillard Cut, the narrowest stretch of the Panama Canal, a statement issued by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) said.


The 124-metre long dredger will widen the existing Pacific entrance from 192 metres to 255 metres and deepen it to 15.5 metres below the mean water springs.


The D'Artagnan is owned by Belgian company Dredging International, a member of the DEME Group.
(Source:http://www.schednet.com)