Jan De Nul’s newbuild trencher bears name of 19th-century British engineer

April 23, 2026, by Nadja Skopljak

Jan De Nul has named its new trenching support vessel Isambard Kingdom Brunel, after a 19th-century British engineer, who the company describes as one of the key figures of the Industrial Revolution.

Jan De Nul announced on March 10 that it was expanding its fleet with the addition of two trenching support vessels, one newbuild and the other to be converted from a water injection dredger.

The newbuild trenching support vessel is of an Ulstein design and will be built at the China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI) shipyard. It will be capable of running on biofuel and green methanol, in addition to being equipped with ultra-low emission (ULEv) technology.

According to Jan De Nul, Brunel designed and delivered major infrastructure projects that transformed transport and industry in Great Britain and is best known for the Great Western Railway, which connected London with the west of England, as well as the Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol.

“Brunel is considered one of the boldest and most creative engineers of the 19th century. Moreover, one of the ships he designed, the SS Great Eastern, was used to install a telegraph cable between France and America, with both Fleeming Jenkin and William Thomson on board: the two engineers after whom we named our two identical XL cable-laying vessels, which are now in their final construction phase,” said Jan Van De Velde, Jan De Nul’s Director Newbuilding and Engineering.

Delivery of the vessel is expected in 2028.