New TSHD USACE

July 25, 2023

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG), Panama City, Florida, was awarded a $257 million firm-fixed-price contract for the design-build of a new medium-class hopper dredge of 6000 yd3 to replace USACE TSHD Mc Farland.

Bids were solicited via the internet with three received.

The new 6,000-cubic-yard-capacity hopper dredge will replace the USACE Philadelphia District's high-powered deep draft hopper dredge McFarland, built in 1967. The newbuild will have a diesel-electric power system and azimuthing thruster propulsion.

Homeported at the USACE Fort Mifflin dock facility on the Delaware River in Philadelphia, the new dredge will generally be kept dockside on shore power in a standby mode as a "Ready Reserve" dredge to perform urgent or emergency dredging when needed. It will also complete 70 days of dredging in the Delaware River on an annual basis.

"The new MCHD will play a critical role in enabling the Corps to continue to deliver its navigation mission and provide for safe, reliable, effective and environmentally sustainable waterborne transportation systems for vital national security, commerce and recreation needs," the Corps said in a statement.

Eastern has built a number of hopper dredges in recent years, including newbuilds for Weeks Marine and Great Lakes Dredge & Dock.

Work will be performed in Panama City, with an estimated completion date of August 16, 2027.

Fiscal 2023 Plant Replacement and Improvement Program funds in the amount of $256,955,264 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia District, is the contracting party.

Background

Back in February 2022, USACE said that it was at the initial stages of procuring a replacement for its then 56-year old hopper dredger McFarland and had issued a draft solicitation for a new medium class hopper dredger (MCHD) replacement vessel.