Posted on November 4, 2026
We didn’t win… but what an adventure!
Three years ago, a few friends started with a blank sheet of paper. No money, no track record, no order book. But we had a vision—and plenty of ambition.
We wanted to develop and build a fully electric, zero-emission cutter suction dredger in the Drechtsteden region of the Netherlands. High quality, competitive CAPEX and OPEX, and a short delivery time.
An investor believed in our plans. So we took the plunge: we started building our first CYGNUS 500 without a customer.
Quite a gamble for a company just starting out.
Within two years, the dredger was almost ready. Then Dekker Groep came along and bought it. There was just one additional request: greater dredging depth.
That was where our modular design proved its value. We delivered the Rotterdam 26 in February while preparing the extension. The upgrade followed during the summer, and today the extended dredger is hard at work.
Then came another milestone: a nomination for the KNVTS Ship of the Year Award 2026.
Of course, we would have loved to bring home the trophy. Congratulations to Damen on winning the award!
For us, the nomination was a moment to reflect on how far we had come.
Three years earlier, this vessel was just an idea shared by a few friends.
Today, it shows what a small team and committed partners can achieve—and that innovative vessels can still be designed AND built right here in the Netherlands.
Thank you to our team, our investor, Dekker Groep, our suppliers and everyone who helped make it happen.
The trophy would have been nice. Seeing our dredger at work makes us proud every day.
And the adventure continues.
