Posted on April 7, 2023
Colombia’s regional autonomous river corporation Cormagdalena and national finance agency Findeter have signed a 55bn-peso (US$12mn) contract with the Shanghai-Panamerican Dredging consortium to dredge the access channel to the Barranquilla port.
The consortium is formed by CCCC Shanghai Dredging (70%) and Panamerican Dredging & Engineering (30%).
The works will improve access to the important Atlantic coast port, enabling larger ships to navigate this section of the Magdalena River.
“We’re are talking about 24km. The dredging would remove about 2.18mn cubic meters over the next six months,” Cormagdalena director Álvaro Redondo Castillo was quoted as saying by local daily El Universal.
The contract, financed by Findeter and Cormagdalena, will be in force for six months until October 3.
“This is the last short-term that will be carried out, because we at Cormagdalena and with the support of Findeter are building the contract [for a long-term plan to dredge the river] that the previous government was unable to advance twice,” transport minister, Guillermo Reyes said, according to El Universal.
