Location
Democratic Republic of the Congo / Africa
Project record
CVM Congo River Easydredge 2700XL fleet renewal
La Congolaise des Voies Maritimes has signed for a customised Royal IHC Easydredge 2700XL with an approximately 3,300 m³ hopper, Vietnam build and first-year operating support. The order follows an owner-reported 30-day FATSHI campaign that opened a new pass and stabilised an offered draft at 26 feet in 2023. That earlier campaign establishes the operating problem, not the new vessel's delivery or future Boma-Matadi access result.
Segment
Dredging
Status
Easydredge 2700XL building contract signed; no yard, trial, delivery, acceptance, or Congo River deployment milestone published / Confirmed
Last checked
11 August 2026
Coverage
Related sectors
Dredging is the primary work classification. Related sectors connect this record to adjacent marine delivery and market coverage.
Subject index
Related subjects
These subject pages bring together related projects, technical articles, reports, and evidence methods.
Project anatomy
Contract scope and delivery roles
- Client / authority
- La Congolaise des Voies Maritimes (CVM)
- Delivery parties
- Royal IHC as designer, integrator, service provider, crewing and training provider, Nam Trieu Shipbuilding Industry Corporation as planned partner yard in Vietnam, No named equipment suppliers or subcontractors in the reviewed contract record
- Contract route
- Direct building and service contract between CVM and Royal IHC, with construction planned at Royal IHC's Nam Trieu partner yard in Vietnam and Royal IHC retaining design, integration, first-year maintenance support, experienced crewing and training roles. Contract value, financing, payment milestones, securities, class, flag, final equipment suppliers, contractual delivery date and performance guarantees are not disclosed.
- Execution window
- Royal IHC announced the signed building contract on 10 March 2026. The release states Vietnam construction and first-year support but publishes no design-release, steel-cutting, keel-laying, launch, harbour-trial, sea-trial, dredging-trial, delivery, acceptance, crew-certification or Congo River deployment date.
- Works package
- Design and construction of one customised Easydredge 2700XL TSHD with an approximately 3,300 m³ hopper, greater autonomy, upgraded bow thruster and propulsion power, expanded accommodation, advanced automation and a first-year support package covering planned-maintenance software, technical assistance, experienced crewing and operational training. Royal IHC's standard Easydredge 2700 reference range lists 2,500-3,000 m³ hopper capacity, 5.5-metre maximum draught, 25-metre maximum dredging depth and a 700-millimetre suction tube; those figures are class context and are not assigned to the customised 2700XL unless its final technical particulars confirm them.
- Marine interfaces
- CVM's public mission covers hydrography, bathymetry, dredging, marking and pilotage on the maritime reach of the Congo River. The new vessel is intended for maintenance dredging and land reclamation supporting Boma and Matadi access. Its assigned reaches, pre-dredge surveys, annual quantities, material envelope, loading and discharge routes, placement sites, maintained dimensions, navigation windows and acceptance criteria are not published.
- Commercial evidence boundary
- The prime vessel and first-year support contract is committed, creating addressable design, shipbuilding, dredging-system, automation, propulsion, spares, planned-maintenance, technical-support, crewing and training work. The missing value, supplier split and delivery programme limit package-level commercial visibility. More importantly, the asset only becomes river capacity after accepted trials, trained crews, a funded maintenance programme, hydrographic control, disposal permissions and repeat production evidence.
Project timeline
Material developments
Dated events that changed scope, counterparties, delivery, commissioning or operating status.
Open this project in the Change LogCVM and Royal IHC signed the customised 2700XL building contract
The contract commits an approximately 3,300 m³ TSHD, Vietnam build and first-year support for Congo River maintenance and land-reclamation duties. Construction start, final specifications, delivery, acceptance, deployment and navigation improvement all require later records.
SourceCVM reported a 30-day FATSHI campaign and 26-foot offered draft
CVM states that the separate existing TSHD opened a new pass and stabilised the offered draft at 26 feet for Banana, Boma and Matadi connectivity. This is owner-reported campaign history, not a current survey, independent acceptance or performance evidence for the new 2700XL.
SourceEvidence gap
What remains unverified
Outstanding evidence
- Final technical particulars, class, flag, financing and supplier packages
- Design release, steel cutting, keel laying, launch and Nam Trieu yard progress
- Harbour, sea and dredging trials with disclosed acceptance criteria
- Delivery, owner acceptance, crew certification and maintenance readiness
- First funded Congo River campaign assigned to the new vessel
- Reach-level surveys, quantities, soils, discharge and placement routes
- Declared and independently supported navigation outcomes for Boma and Matadi
Sources and related records
Read featured analysis Methodology Submit a correction Project tracker
Source collections
Project sources 6
- Royal IHC signs contract with CVM for Easydredger 2700XL TSHD Royal IHC, 10 March 2026
- Easydredge 2700XL contract and delivery release Royal IHC, 10 March 2026
- Easydredge standard product range and 2700 reference particulars Royal IHC, Current product page reviewed 16 July 2026
- CVM public mission and services La Congolaise des Voies Maritimes, Current operating profile reviewed 16 July 2026
- About La Congolaise des Voies Maritimes La Congolaise des Voies Maritimes, Current institutional profile reviewed 16 July 2026
- FATSHI 30-day Congo River dredging campaign La Congolaise des Voies Maritimes, 29 December 2023