Boskalis has won a contract for the widening of the Port Adelaide Outer Harbor shipping channel in Australia.
The project was awarded by port owner and operator Flinders Ports and the contract carries a total value of approximately EUR 40 million.
“Boskalis has been appointed to widen the shipping channel to 170 meters from the current 130 meters, and extend the turning basin to accommodate the larger and more efficient Post Panamax container ships which are increasingly dominating global containerized cargo transport. The expanded channel will also accommodate larger cruise ships to support a stronger tourism industry ,” according to an official announcement.
An estimated amount of 1.5 million cubic meters of mainly sand and clay material will be removed with a trailing suction hopper dredger and a large backhoe dredger.
Flinders Ports and Boskalis are committed to minimizing the environmental impact of the channel widening program and maximizing the ongoing health of the marine environment in line with the strict requirements of the Environment Protection Authority dredging license, said Boskalis in its release.
The dredged material will be placed in a designated area 30 kilometers offshore with the aid of adaptive environmental management techniques to ensure that the maximum permitted turbidity levels are not exceeded.
The project will be executed in the second half of 2019.