While there's an increased demand for the maintenance or expansion of maritime infrastructure, dredging fleets are aging; with trailing suction hopper dredgers hitting 26 years of age on average, and cutter section dredgers averaging 22 years2. It's not unusual for some dredgers to stay in service for 35 years or more, and herein lies the dilemma for operators and owners. Despite ongoing investment in their fleets, older dredgers will require significant maintenance and are likely to suffer increased downtime, while their overall efficiency may also be questioned.

As an operator or owner, you will therefore be considering the right path forwards for a dredger: either balancing ongoing costs and lower efficiencies compared to current technologies against modernization or a lifetime extension of the current vessel; or planning significant capital investment in a new-build vessel, at a time of rising inflation, high raw material costs, and global uncertainty.

Since either option represents a long term operational and financial commitment, this overview discusses how unbiased advice can help you to validate whether your gut feelings are right, create solid inputs for your business case, and ensure your dredging vessel project heads in the right direction.