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Inai Kiara Sdn Bhd, the largest dredging company
in the country has taken delivery of two more
dredgers to cope with increasing demand for its
services not only in the country but also to
seize expanding dredging opportunities in the
region.
The company, which has a diversified fleet of
dredgers, barges and tugs acquired three new
dredgers in the last two years increasing its
total current fleet of draggers to nine.
“This year we added two more dredgers (3,426 grt-
Inai Lavender and 4,925grt- Inai Vanilla to our
fleet,” said the chief executive officer of
Integrated Marine Works (IMW) Sdn Bhd, Rasydan
Bin Alias Mohd.
The dredgers have the capability to dredge up to
25 metres-33 metres depth, and the trailing
suction hopper dredgers operates by skimming off
layers of materials from the seabed like a
floating vacuum cleaner, he said.
The suction pipe, linked with a drag head
incorporates a water-jet system and blades and
other means of dislodging compacted materials.
The drag head allows the materials to flow to
the suction inlet as efficiently as possible.
The dredged materials are mixed with water,
pumped up, and then discharged into hopper.
There the heavy material settles, and the
surplus water overflows into the sea.
Rasydan said the company has deployed three new
dredgers – Inai Anggerik, Inai Lavender and Inai
Vanilla – to deepen the Northern Approach
Channel in Port Klang.
The dredging of this project, schedule for
completion in December 2007 is being carried out
in six parcels (1A, 1B, 1C, 2A, 2B and 2C). The
sector from Sarang Lang to Buoy 14 will be
dredged to 15.5 metres and from Buoy 14 to Pulau
Angsa is being dredged to 13.5 metres.
“We are working 24 hours to ensure the job is
completed by end of this year,” he said.
The dredging of the Northern Approach Channel
involves the removal of 22.62 million cubic
metres of deposits from seabed of the approach
channel.
“To date, we have removed more than 18 million
cubic metres of deposits from the Channel to
allow better under keel clearance for the bigger
and deep-draft vessels to navigate the channel
to safely berth at Northport,” said Rasydan.
With the deepened channel, bigger and deep draft
vessels, especially the mega sized
containerships would be able to navigate
directly Northport via Pulau Angsa (island),
saving valuable steaming time (and cost)
compared with using the other approach channel.
With the deepening of the Northern Approach
Channel, Northport will also have two access
channels.
Rasydan said after completion of the dredging
job in Port Klang, the dredgers would be moved
to Penang Port for new assignment.
Penang Port plans dredge and reclaim its harbour
basin for the expansion of the North Butterworth
Container Terminal Phase 3 for RM672 million
over the next three years.
Plans are in drawing board for the port to
dredge their North Approach Channel to 13.5
metre ACD to serve the needs of bigger mainline
vessels expected to call at the port which is
expected to play a leading role in the meeting
the port services requirements of the
development of the Northern Economic Region
Corridor. |
