Specialist vessels have started to arrive at the Port of Dover for the official start of harbor dredging for the port’s flagship Dover Western Docks Revival (DWDR) development scheme.
The DWDR principal contractor, a joint venture between VolkerStevin and Boskalis Westminster (VSBW), has mobilized various items of floating equipment which has begun arriving in Dover to undertake initial harbor dredging to remove soft sediment.
The first vessel to arrive was the ‘Kreeft’, a self-propelled crane barge which is fitted with bespoke attachments for the identification and removal of obstructions, VolkerStevin said in its latest release.
Dredging vessels include two trailing suction hopper dredgers, the 1,500m³ capacity ‘Sospan Dau’ and one of the 4,500m³ Causeway class vessels. These will dredge, remove and relocate soft sediment to the designated offshore licensed disposal area.
Harder material will be dredged with the ‘MP40’ backhoe dredger, which will transfer dredged material to the 800m³ self-discharging split hopper barges ‘Wadden 1’ and ‘Wadden 4’ for removal to the disposal area.
The trailer dredgers and split hoppers will be steaming regularly between the Port and the disposal area ahead of the initial piling program, VolkerStevin said.
Stuart Eckersley, Project Director for VSBW , said: “Starting the main dredging activities marks an important milestone for the project. We will be seeing a range of specialist vessels operating in the harbor from Boskalis Westminster’s extensive dredging fleet.”
Approximately one million cubic meters of silt, gravel and chalk will be removed from the harbor to allow for the creation of a purpose-built cargo and logistics facility, a new marina and a transformed waterfront at Europe’s busiest ferry Port.
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