IHC Dredgers company profile

Our roots

IHC Dredgers' roots go back to the 18th century. Its most remarkable historic leader, Fop Smit (1777-1866), heir of a Dutch family of naval architects, shipowners and shipbuilders, built the wordl's first steel sailing ship, the brigantine Industrie in 1847. He was a technology innovator. In its more than 200 years the company built wooden clippers, famous paddle-steamers, tugs, and started the manufacturing of floating and sailing dredgers.

In 1943 a partnership with other shipyards and machinery industries was devised. It was called Industrieele Handels Combinatie, later abbreviated to IHC Holland. After several mergers and ownerships, the current IHC Merwede was moulded in 2007 with IHC Dredgers B.V. as the largest business unit within the Dredging & Mining division. The current company's name exactly typifies what we do: designing, building and supporting dredgers.


Our world


So dedicated shipbuilding is our world. Following the footprints of Fop Smit the company is innovative from the beginning. Not especially larger, but better, more efficient and durable vessels were, and are, our aims. This is mirrored in the first trailing suction hopper dredger equipped with a swell compensator for enhanced operational span in 1956, and also in the first large covered slipway annex pretreatment hall in Europe, 1971, and the first one-man operated bridge in 2006. As well as in the outstanding production facilities today and the allotment of 3-4% of the turnover to research. Having gathered experience with the building of steam, electric, diesel and diesel-electric powered bucket dredgers, cutter suction dredgers and trailing suction hopper dredgers, we are able to compose any dredger fit to the requirements of owners worldwide.

Our TSHDs range from 1,000-32,200m3, whereas rock cutting CSDs of 30,000kW are within reach. It is well known that smaller IHC Merwede dredgers easily outperform the larger vessels built by the competition. Their added value stands out, time and again.



Our activities


Our people manage all the activities needed for the successful operation of the vessels. The range of activities includes pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, functional specifications and designs, FMEA, exploitation analysis and optimisation. Engineering and modelling are important activities as well as supply of appropriate drawings and manuals.

Research & product development are in-house activities, supported by leading research institutes and knowledge centres. Project management ensures the correct technical and financial settlement of every vessel built . Our management system is ISO 9001 certified (download certificate).

Logistics and procurement, manufacturing, testing, commissioning, simulator-supported training, spare part management and operational support are the entry for our vision on life cycle support.


Our markets

Located in Kinderdijk, in the neighbourhood of the cradle of the Dutch dredging industry, ideally positioned for logistics over water to the port of Rotterdam, IHC Dredger's can serve any market in the world - and does so. More than half of the world's dredging contractors work with our products for the greater part and worldwide. The ports or Rotterdam, Antwerpen, Le Havre, Shanghai and many others, Hongkong airport, The Dutch Deltawerken, the artificial islands in the United Arab Emirates as well as the maintenance of the Suez Canal and the modernisation of the Panama Canal are just unthinkable without IHC Dredgers-built vessels.


Our knowledge

IHC Dredgers excels in the building of dredgers by utilising a treasure trove of knowledge and experience in the areas of shipbuilding, mechanical engineering, electrics and automation. The company's workforce of 600+ men and women supply complete dredgers as total projects from scratch by:

  • Smart configuration of proven technology
  • Enduring relationships with mature key suppliers
  • Competitive prices in all segments of the market
  • Mix of standardised and high-end technology
  • Advanced mathematical models and simulations
  • Quality, cost and risk management
  • Support of processes by state-of-the-art software, tools, and machinery.
  • Standardisation, repetition and specialisation at the same time.
  • Extensive research and product development.
  • Outstanding commissioning and sea trials.
  • Full Life Cycle Support.
  • Dedicated workforce, driven by a spirit of innovation, efficiency and quality.

 

 It is our people who make the difference!


Our future

IHC Dredgers feels an important development today – the internationalisation of its activities in collaboration with customers. The first steps have already been taken down this road. The aim is to build IHC Dredgers’ standard vessels in versions adapted to local working conditions for - among others - the important Chinese and Indian markets. However, the company is still in the early stages of the culture change and orientation required to establish a firm position in this market segment. The principle is: engineering and construction in one single location is no longer an exclusive approach. The development demands a detailed interface description of the transition between the relevant work phases and a clear understanding of the possibilities and expectations at other construction locations. Major steps were already taken to achieve our aim.

News & Events

Successful naming and launch ceremony for MIONDO by IHC Merwede

IHC Merwede has successfully named and launched the stationary cutter suction dredger,...[meer...]

IHC Merwede increases revenue and profit

Increased revenue of € 1.05 billion (2010: € 1.01 billion)Higher EBITDA: € 161 million...[meer...]

IHC Merwede steps forward in Asia with new Singapore office

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