The Dutch firm beat a number of competitors to the contract for what will bethe largest vessel of its kind working in the country.

This will be the third dredger that IHC has built forTransnet which manages eight ports around South Africa.

No price was revealed for the trailer suction hopper vessel.

IHC Merwede reported net earnings of EUR 56m ($77.6m) for2013, up from EUR 37m a year earlier.