Electrical systems and drives form the core business of Bakker Sliedrecht. The operating company comprises another three companies in addition to Bakker Sliedrecht: Verhoef Elektrotechniek BV, Bakker Repair and ETB Van Oorschot. The company has had a good business relation with IHC for many years. IHC Engineering & Renovation, for example, developed a series of cutter suction dredgers (CSDs) under the name of IHC8527 MP especially for the Chinese market in Kinderdijk a few years ago. Various local Chinese shipyards demonstrated an interest including Tianjin Shunhang Shipping Company. IHC did not have to look far for a suitable supplier for the submersible motors to be used in these CSDs. Bakker Sliedrecht was given the order. The company’s history with this product already covers, therefore, a period of more than 35 years. Bakker Sliedrecht designed and developed the submersible motors completely itself at that time and has continued to develop them ever since.

Export success


“The order for four CSDs that IHC won in 2007 was even doubled in 2008,” is how Noorlander describes this export success. The building of the CSDs takes place at a shipyard in China with which IHC has concluded a joint venture. Bakker Sliedrecht also delivers a number of other important components in addition to the submersible motors for the cutter and pump drive: onboard network generators, two main switchboards, frequency controllers for the cutter and pump drive and a DC bus system for the winches and the gland pumps. Noorlander: “These custom-made submersible motors are filled with air and are installed against a gearbox. The complete design and the production of our motors take place in the Netherlands. The CSD is always fitted out with two submersible motors for the sand pump drive and a motor for the cutter drive. The speed is arranged through our frequency controllers with regard to both.” The figures do not lie. Bakker Sliedrecht has now delivered more than 150 submersible motors that vary from 250 kW to no less than 5600 kW, to different customers. Bakker Sliedrecht will only see this number increase in the future. “IHC is expecting to sell even more of this CSD type in the future,” is what Noorlander has to say. “The first of the 8 CSDs are expected to be delivered during the second half of 2009.”

Noorlander shows his pride when he tells us about the dredging industry that is so advanced in the Netherlands. “Export is important to our Dutch maritime industry; our references sail all around the world and this also applies to the dredging industry. More and more often, these references are no longer from Dutch extract. I hope we can keep the dredging industry here and that it will not ultimately be price that dominates everywhere.”

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