Soil Machine Dynamics, Van Oord Sign QTrencher Deal

Soil Machine Dynamics Ltd (SMD) today signed a contract with Van Oord for the manufacture and delivery of a QTrencher 1600.

Scheduled for delivery in Q1 2018, the high power trenching machine will be supplied with an SMD designed umbilical winch, along with jetting and mechanical cutting tools to tackle a wide range of seabed conditions.

Additional functionality includes beach operation to offer cable installation for export and inter array campaigns, SMD said.

“Van Oord have been using QTrencher 1400 on their Gemini installation campaign so already have good experience with our technology. It’s a strong endorsement of our quality and performance in the field to be able to supply direct to a contractor like Van Oord,” said Paul Davison, Managing Director of SMD Trenching, Mining and Renewables.

The equipment will be loaded directly onto Van Oord’s cable-laying vessel Nexus from SMD’s Turbinia Works in Wallsend, UK.

SMD Services will be providing a comprehensive service support package for Van Oord.