Asunción, Agencia IP.- The new DRM 5 «Paraguay» dredger, donated by the Government of Japan through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has arrived in Pilar from Nueva Palmira. The official flag-raising ceremony for the vessel will take place during the visit of Crown Prince of Japan, Fumihito (Akishino), younger brother of the current Emperor Naruhito.
National Navigation and Ports Administration President Julio César Vera Cáceres announced during an interview with State Media that Prince Fumihito will arrive in Paraguay on August 19. On that same day, prior to the official handicraft event at the Port of Asunción, the flag-raising ceremony for the dredger will be held with the participation of President Santiago Peña.
The head of the ANNP also reported that a theoretical and practical training course will begin next Monday with 31 participants, including 14 members of the Paraguayan Navy, ANNP port personnel, and five representatives from the River Shipowners Association.
Theoretical and practical training with Japanese technicians
The training program will be conducted with technicians from Japan. Final adjustments are currently being completed, and joint instructional activities with personnel from the Paraguayan Navy and ANNP will begin this Tuesday.
A group of ANNP and Navy staff traveled to Pilar and will remain there throughout the week as part of the initial preparation process.
Vera Cáceres explained that participants will undergo an intensive course to become familiar with the state-of-the-art dredger, which is fully automated and capable of reaching speeds of up to 5 knots. The vessel is expected to arrive in Asunción around August 13 or 14, where it will remain docked at the port.
Signing of the delivery and reception agreement
The ANNP President also announced that the official delivery and reception agreement for the dredger will be signed next Friday. The Government of Japan will be represented by JICA and a representative of the construction company responsible for the vessel.
Vera Cáceres stated that the dredger will travel down to Asunción with its own crew, while the training process will begin with a small operational team and expand next Monday with the intensive course led by Japanese technicians.
Dredger designed for sediments, not rocks
The ANNP head explained that the vessel has a crew capacity of 13 people and does not include cabins or a dining area, as it was designed exclusively for operational work. It will operate alongside tugboats and auxiliary vessels known as «mulitas,» which transport the pipes, while the tugboats provide accommodation and dining facilities for personnel.
«The vessel is large, modern, and has a suction capacity of 1,500 cubic meters per hour, while dredgers normally used in this area of the country operate with capacities between 350 and 400 cubic meters per hour. This is a higher-capacity dredger, but it is specifically designed for sediments, not rocks,» Vera Cáceres explained.
The ANNP president emphasized that the institution will remain ready to deploy the dredger wherever it is needed. With this new addition, Paraguay will have three operational dredgers under ANNP management.
Previously, the institution had four vessels, but two were lost: one sank, and another suffered severe damage that could not be repaired. The remaining two dredgers were restored and are now fully operational, bringing the total fleet to three.
ANNP remains responsible for river works
Vera Cáceres explained that although ANNP is the only institution legally responsible for river dredging operations, authorization was granted to the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) to conduct bidding processes and finance contracts related to these works.
Meanwhile, ANNP remains responsible for preparing the executive and detailed technical projects for the interventions required, as well as supervising and monitoring the execution of the works.
The arrival of the DRM 5 «Paraguay» represents a significant step in strengthening Paraguay’s river infrastructure, improving navigation conditions, and reinforcing cooperation ties between Paraguay and Japan.