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Napier Port and a partner port, Otago, have teamed up to buy a $36 million new dredging ship.

Dutch company Damen Shipyards will build the ship at a shipyard in Vietnam and it is expected to be ready in late 2026.

It will be based in Dunedin but called upon when needed at Napier.

The ship that is being bought is known as a Damen TSHD-1000 and is 59m long.

 declined to say how much it would contribute in terms of its share of the $36m investment or how often it expected to use the ship each year.

What the new dredging ship will look like when completed. Image / Damen

Napier Port has previously contracted dredging services to keep its channels at a required depth.

However, the new investment means it can rely on its own dredge.

“We can meet our ongoing maintenance and capital dredging needs more efficiently, while delivering improved access and a sustainable solution for our region,” Napier Port chief executive Todd Dawson said of the investment.

“The dredge will enable Napier Port to optimise its current resource consents, valid until 2053, to incrementally deepen our shipping channels over time, from their current depth of 12.5 metres at low water to the consented depth of 14.5 metres.

“This will accommodate larger, deeper-draft vessels and strengthen the port’s ability to handle future growth.”

The partnership between Napier Port and Otago Port will also involve the establishment of a new dredging company via a limited partnership agreement.