DCA member Great Lakes Dredge & Dock (GLDD) announces the successful launch the the Ellis Island , the barge component of its articulated Tug & Barge (ATB) hopper dredge currently under construction. After two years of construction and hundreds of thousands of man hours, the launch marks a significant milestone in the construction progress of the vessel.
Read the full release below:
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GREAT LAKES ANNOUNCES SUCCESSFUL LAUNCHES OF THE ARTICULATED TUG & BARGE HOPPER DREDGE ELLIS ISLAND AND TUG DOUGLAS B MACKIE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Oak Brook, Illinois – Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Corporation (“Great Lakes”) (NASDAQ:GLDD), the largest provider of dredging services in the United States and a major provider of environmental and remediation services, announced the successful launch of the Ellis Island on 30 September 2016, the barge component of its Articulated Tug & Barge (ATB) hopper dredge under construction at Eastern Shipbuilding facilities in Allanton, Florida. The tug component, the Douglas B Mackie, was launched in Mobile, Alabama on 3 February 2017. After two years of construction and hundreds of thousands of man hours, these launches mark a significant milestone in the construction progress of Great Lakes’ newest hopper dredge.
This ATB hopper dredge is a state-of-the-art “Jones Act” vessel designed and constructed to meet the nation’s growing maritime infrastructure needs. This vessel will help to contribute to the U.S. economy and the future economic prosperity of the nation.
President of Great Lakes Dredging Division, David Simonelli, commented, “We look forward to the completion of the Ellis Island, which will be the largest and most efficient hopper dredge in the U.S. Industry fleet. We are eager to put the Ellis Island to work and to demonstrate its unique capabilities replenishing beaches to help protect coastlines, restoring barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico and deepening the nation’s ports.”
The Ellis Island is 433 feet long and 92 feet wide with a hopper volume of 15,000 cubic yards. The vessel’s two 36-inch diameter drag arms are capable of mining sand from the ocean floor 122 feet below the water’s surface.
The tug portion of the ATB dredge, the Douglas B Mackie, returned to Panama City, Florida after its launching. Both vessels are at Eastern Shipbuilding’s Nelson Shipyard continuing final outfitting before sea trials commence. With the combination of the optimized tug and barge hull design and increased haul capacity, the Ellis Island hopper dredge is expected to provide ship-like productivity and efficiency at the lower operating cost of an ATB.
For further information contact:
- Mary Morrissey, Investor Relations (630) 574-3467
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