Jan De Nul begins sand replenishment trial in Westerschelde estuary

Contractor Jan De Nul has begun a practical test of sand replenishment in the Westerschelde estuary, a project commissioned by the Dutch water management agency, Rijkswaterstaat.

The work, which started in June and will continue until the autumn, is part of a study on protecting the coast from "rising sea levels". During the trial, one million cubic metres of North Sea sand will be placed at two locations along the coastline.

The stated goal is to nourish the coast and to investigate how the new sediment moves within the estuary to inform future management decisions.

Jan De Nul is carrying out the work using its vessels Tristão da Cunha and Diogo Cão. The company stated the vessels are equipped with a dual "ultra-low local emission" technology that uses a filter system to remove NOx and particulate matter from exhaust gases. An onboard emission monitoring system is also used to provide real-time data to help optimise operations.