Posted on February 20, 2025
Site works have commenced on a critical coastal protection project located in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI).
The project design is led by consulting engineering company Royal HaskoningDHV on behalf of the RMI Ministry of Public Works, Infrastructure and Utilities (MPWIU), with Australia-based dredging and marine construction company Hall Contracting now mobilising on site.
Hall Contracting commenced early mobilisation works in preparation for the construction of a 1.81-kilometre seawall that will help to protect residents from inundation and wave overtopping, which is becoming only more critical with rising sea levels.
The new seawall will be constructed on the Ebeye atoll, using approximately 65,000 tonnes of armour rock. Located approximately half-way between Australia and Hawaii, Ebeye is a small, low-lying island in the Kwajalein Atoll with a population of almost 10,000 and is prone to climate hazards.
After a comprehensive design process and risk assessment by Royal HaskoningDHV, a rock revetment seawall was determined as the most effective method to protect Ebeye from storms, flooding and rising sea levels.
The seawall will provide long-term protection from sea level rise of up to 0.5 metres and mitigate inundation and flood risks, helping to defend Ebeye’s oceanside communities.
MPWIU has engaged Royal HaskoningDHV to be responsible for site supervision and contract administration, and Hall Contracting for the construction of the new infrastructure, with initial works involving constructing a dedicated unloading facility on the southern end of the island.
“In an effort to reduce pollution, maximise cost savings and make use of the island’s existing resources, our team will compile concrete that has been discarded along the beachfront and reuse this to form a road to the unloading facility,” said Cameron Hall, CEO and Director at Hall Contracting.
“The new facility will enable us to transport armour rock ashore when the first of two 40,000-tonne shipments arrives by sea in early March. We expect to commence construction of the coastal protection system in late March.”
The project has been funded by the World Bank and Green Climate Fund and is set to be completed in 2026.
