Van Heck Advances Dredging Innovation
Van Heck started in 1964 as a one man operation to build and develop pumps and services to the dredging industry. Driven by innovation and its reputation, the company expanded into the offshore industry boom of the 1980s and its expertise grew as it helped tackle the challenges set by this specialists market.
The innovation hasn’t stopped today, and Van Heck continues to grow, offering its customers specialized, tailor-made engineering and advice. Van Heck provides pumps and ballast systems, siphon systems and pipe work with fittings as a complete package. Anything from engineering and calculations to manufacture and construction.
The company works within its domestic market of the Netherlands, Belgium and North Germany. However as much as 50 percent of its business is acquired from around the globe and is continuously expanding into the countries, wherever the market takes it. Van Heck is also focused on investing in the new offshore wind farm projects that are beginning to take shape in the North Sea and its surrounding seas. The company enjoys a strong relationship with some of the major players in the market including the larger dredging firms such as Jan de Nul, Boskalis, Van Oord and DEME Group as well as renowned salvors Svitzer and SMIT.
With its latest innovation, Van Heck has created the potential to eliminate one of the largest and most damaging risks to both the economy and the environment; all wrapped up in a tiny 150mm by 630mm package.
The Sea Trophy is purported by the company to be the first and only pump of its kind in the world, capable of quickly and cleanly removing oil at a rate of 70m3/hr at 100cS. It’s small size allows it to enter through the systems in a ship’s existing piping, requiring little preparation, thus eliminating the need to begin welding and cutting before pumping. This fast oil recovery system has the capacity to eradicate risk to the environment from oil spills.
The Sea Trophy is also a potential answer to new, upcoming shipping regulations such as the Polar Code and Green Shipping policies. The pump is available for rental and development continues to widen its usability and increase its effectiveness in different applications.
(As published in the October 2014 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News - http://magazines.marinelink.com/Magazines/MaritimeReporter)
