The pontoon was built for the account of DEME NV and its Russian partner NDC (Northern DredgingCompany Ltd), part of the PST Group. The Dutch shipyard Ravestein BV was awarded with a contract for the design and construction of a backhoe dredger in November 2010. The ‘Peter the Great’ will have a length of 60 m, breadth of 17.20 m, depth of 4 m, deck load of 10 tonnes/m² and will be equipped with a Liebherr P 995 Litronic crane and three spud legs each 34m in length.
The pontoon has two fixed spud legs, 1 hydraulically operated spud carrier with spud leg and an excavator. The excavator is a Liebherr P 995 Litronic type which is designed for a maritime environment and has a dredging depth of 18.20 m and a bucket of 11m³. The vessel can accommodate 10 persons. The ‘Peter the Great’ was named after the Russian Tsar and emperor known for the implementation of great reforms in Russia that helped to expand and modernize the country into a huge empire becoming a major European power. Peter the Great founded one of the world’s most beautiful cities, St. Petersburg, also called “North capital and Venice of North” of the Russian Federation. Peter the Great has spent some time along the banks of the river Sheldt close to DEME’s headquarters, showing interest in the local shipbuilding industry.
The choice of the name ‘Peter the Great’ underlines DEME’s growing presence in the Russian market.