Posted on September 12, 2017
By David Foxwell, OSJ
The construction programme supporting the expansion of Aberdeen Harbour, the most important port for offshore vessels in the UK, has passed a significant milestone in the commencement of dredging operations.
The construction project, which began in May this year with the development of a north breakwater access road and the start of work on the north breakwater itself, has progressed well, and the commencement of dredging operations is a major step forward for the project.
The first dredging vessel to arrive was Van Oord’s Costa Verde, which has started work in the bay. The vessel is a trailing suction hopper dredger, scheduled to remove approximately 200,000 m3 of material prior to the arrival of a backhoe dredger later in the construction schedule, which will address the denser seabed material.
The dredging operation is designed to increase the water depth in the bay ahead of the construction of quays over the next three years, and the subsequent development of world-class deep-water berthage.
Over the next three years, Nigg Bay, to the south of the existing harbour, will be expanded and developed, representing a step change in marine support capabilities in Scotland.
The £350M (US$462M) project will see additional facilities constructed which will, by 2020, form Aberdeen South Harbour and transform the port’s ability to accommodate the trend for larger vessels, opening potential new revenue streams for the north of Scotland.¬
Source: OSJ
