On Saturday 22 December 2007 at 14.30 hrs, the 9,000m³ trailing suction hopper dredger BREYDEL was launched at the IHC Merwede shipyard in Kinderdijk. The ship is being built for the Belgian contractor DEME N.V. (Dredging, Environmental and Marine Engineering N.V.). Mrs. Veerle Vercruysse, the Flanders Director of the environmental company DEC N.V. performed the launch ceremony.

IHC Dredgers BV and DEME signed a contract in February 2006 for the building of two trailer suction hopper dredgers: the BRABO and the BREYDEL. The BREYDEL keel was laid on 3 July 2007. This new dredger will sail under the colours of Dredging International of Zwijndrecht, Belgium, one of the main companies in the DEME Group.

The BREYDEL is “excellently equipped for working in shallow water and for the maintenance of
harbours, beach suppletion and land reclamation projects. This design uses the successful features of the 5,400m³ PALLIETER series and has adapted them for trailing suction hopper dredgers in the 10,000m3 class. The limited draught and the substantial beam ensure that the BREYDEL can operate in circumstances where other vessels in this class would have difficulties because of their length or draught”. Like its sister ship the BRABO, the BREYDEL has “a state-of-the-art” console at its disposal which combines the different functions for dredging and sailing. “The user-friendly console and high level of automation already made one-man operation successful on board the MARIEKE, the REYNAERT and the BRABO”.