Boskalis is currently undertaking a multi-phased project to deepen the port of Lerwick on the Scottish Shetland Islands, a project that involves dredging a hard, rocky seabed to accommodate larger vessels in the future. The company is deploying different types of specialist vessels to tackle the challenging conditions.
The first phase of the project has already been completed, with the trailing suction hopper dredger Shoalway removing over 150,000 cubic metres of relatively soft material.
The second phase is now underway, with the large backhoe dredger Magnor tasked with dredging the hard material. The Magnor is being assisted by the pusher tug Union Onyx and the barge Terraferre.
Once the second phase is successfully completed, the project will move to its third and final stage. This will involve drilling targeted holes into sections of the exposed rocky seabed, allowing for the controlled use of explosives to fragment the rock into smaller pieces.
These smaller pieces will then be removed by one of the company's smaller backhoe dredgers. Boskalis has stated that comprehensive measures will be taken throughout the project to protect local marine life.
