Boskalis secures multiple dredging contracts in Germany

Royal Boskalis Westminster recently secured three contracts for coastal protection and port maintenance activities in Germany.

The dredging contracts carry a combined value of €45 million (US$53 million) and will all commence in the coming months.

The first contract was awarded by the German Waterways and Shipping Office WSA Weser-Jade-Nordsee to upgrade the existing coastal defence on the island of Wangerooge to provide flood protection to the island’s residents. This project will be executed with a local German partner and involves the reinforcement of the groins and revetment for which 200,000 tonnes of rock will be used.

In addition to a backhoe dredger a number of split barges will be deployed. Construction works will commence in November 2020 and are expected to be completed late 2021.

Boskalis furthermore received a contract award from WSA Weser-Jade-Nordsee for maintaining a 90-kilometre-long section of the shipping fairway of the Weser River between Nordenham and Bremerhaven. Under a two-year maintenance contract Boskalis will dredge a total quantity of around 14 million cubic metres of sand and silt, which will be deposited at designated locations along the river.

Boskalis will deploy a medium-sized trailing suction hopper dredger to carry out the dredging work that will start early 2021 and last until the end of 2022.

The third contract that Boskalis secured was awarded by Niedersachsen Ports for the maintenance of the Port of Emden.

Starting November 1, 2020, Boskalis will maintain the port at the required depth by dredging an annual volume of around 2.7 million cubic metres of sand and silt with a trailing suction hopper dredger for two consecutive years.