The launching ceremony, held at Krimpen shipyard of the Dutch shipbuilder Royal IHC, was attended by the company’s CEO Gerben Eggink and Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands Hatem Abdel Gawad.

During the ceremony, Hussein Tantawi dredger was lowered into the water, marking the start of measures to complete the installation of its equipment. The dredger would then be tested out at the pier and the sea of the Netherlands.

The dredger is 147.4 meters long, with a 23-meter beam, a depth of 7.7 meters, and a draft of 5.5 meters, Rabie said in a statement.

It can produce 3,600 cubic meters of sand per hour at a length of 4 kilometers, with a total capacity of 29,190 kilowatts, he added.

The launch of the new dredger comes as part of a contract concluded between the Suez Canal Authority and Royal IHC to establish two dredgers, Rabie said, adding that the first one has been named Mohab Mamish.

The two dredgers are similar in design, style and technical specifications, he noted.