8 minute read
Press Refresh
PRESS THE REFRESH BUTTON
Dredging contractors continue to broaden their approach to securing new contracts alongside the sector introducing dredger designs that match the latest requirements. AJ Keyes reviews the premier developments
The international market for dredging projects remains active, although highly competitive, with some interesting projects. Further, the dredging services supply sector continues to be inventive in how to secure these projects.
One major project up for grabs, with award by the Argentina General Port Administration Agency (AGP), is the dredging of the Parana River which encompasses 86 ports and is the ‘highway’ via which around 80 per cent of Argentina’s agricultural exports are moved. Efficient dredging in this waterway has become even more critical than usual in recent times due to the presence of historically low water levels in the river.
The Parana River has traditionally been dredged by a specialist dredging contractor, operating under the auspices of a long-term concession, with the contractor paid via means of tolls applied to transiting vessels. The length of the new concession envisaged is 15-years with this preceded by a tender for a 180-day operation, required while the details of the longer concession are worked out. Local reports suggest that the 180-day contract will be awarded this month – March 2022 – and that parties expressing strong interest in the multi-year concession include: Jan de Nul; Boskalis, Dredging International in joint venture with CCCC Shanghai Dredging and Rhode Nielsen-Emepa. There is, however, some doubt as to whether Emepa, who formerly worked with Jan de Nul, will be allowed to qualify for the project.
Jan de Nul and Emepa, in joint venture in the company Hidrovia, originally held the Parana River concession from 1995 onwards. Along the way, with Emepa, an Argentine company, accused of corruption, the two organisations parted company and via various extensions Jan de Nul has continued with the dredging remit for the Parana River and River Plate. This arrangement will expire with the award first of the shortterm contract and second the long-term concession. Industry participants express some doubt, however, that the longer concession will be awarded this year with some suggesting the award may end up taking place in 2023.
The project is large-scale and it will be very interesting to see how the long-term concession award pans out. It is definitely a major opportunity that will be pursued vigorously by the interested parties and as such one that is definitely ‘watch this space’ material.
Another noteworthy development in the market is the recently announced alliance between The Dredging Corporation of India Ltd. (DCI) AND Abu Dhabi’s National Marine Dredging Company (NMDC). The two companies have announced that they will bid jointly for projects using each other’s resources, equipment and know-how in the Indian sub-continent, Africa, Middle East and Far East regions.
Interestingly, the nature of this alliance is broad-based, accommodating dredging projects but also extending into project development with build-operate-transfer (BOT) schemes, operation of ports, PPP-based dredging works, port development and multi-modal transportation activities.
Project execution, the two companies report, will be either through a joint venture or as a consortium on a project-toproject basis.
DCI, India’s biggest dredging contractor, is owned by four government-owned major ports – Deendayal Port, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Visakhapatnam Port and Paradip Port. NMDC is supported by the Government of Abu Dhabi.
In terms of dredger fleets, the two companies complement each other with NMDC strong on cutter suction dredgers and DCI possessing a large fleet of trailing suction hopper dredgers.
The alliance represents a strong push to secure overseas projects with a broad-based remit in terms of project types. This latter reality may prove particularly interesting in the Indian market with the Indian Government in mid-2021 approving new norms for the award of dredging works at State-run-ports which include – for the first time – the idea of awarding major dredging works based on a PPP arrangement. Equally, it enables the four shareholder ports controlling DCI to finalise their respective dredging contracts with the company without the requirement for a public tender.
8 The new long-
term concession for dredging the Parana River system is up for grabs
The two market-related developments discussed above highlight the diversification taking place in the dredging contractor sector – a growing commitment to implementing new approaches to secure not only dredging work but affiliated opportunities including taking an equity stake where appropriate to do so.
In parallel with this trend, as the following coverage discusses, the contractor sector continues to bring forward new dredger and dredger component designs that build on traditional goals such as raising the bar in terms of production and general performance as well as meet new generation development goals.
DESIGN INNOVATION – I AM SPARTACUS
The pursuit of greater efficiency in dredger design and dredger components continues apace with this focused on performance but also the increasingly important aspect of eco-friendly operations.
One example involves the wonderfully-named giant new cutter suction dredger, “Spartacus” that DEME has received from Dutch shipyard, Royal IHC. Spartacus is the world’s largest and most powerful self-propelled cutter suction dredge and also the first able to run on liquefied natural gas (LNG).
With a total installed power of 44,180kW The four main engines can run on Low Sulphur Heavy Fuel Oil, Marine Diesel Oil, as well as LNG, and the two auxiliary engines have dual-fuel technology. The heavy cutter ladder, able to be controlled and operated from the bridge by a single person, can operate up to a dredging depth of 45m and the vessel is already on its way to its first project in Egypt.
Also notable as another new generation eco-friendly dredger design is Damen Shipyards Electric Cutter Suction Dredger, the ECSD 650.
This equipment uses electric motors connected to shore power to drive the dredging system, thereby making zero emissions at the point of operations, making it especially good for activities in urban and environmentally-sensitive settings.
If shore power is not readily accessible, Damen works with local contractors to install and integrate strategically positioned connection points with local power distribution networks.
The company explains that its range of hopper capacities range from 2000m3 to 5000m³ and operations can take place down to a depth of 30m, enabling maintenance works in larger ports and channels, as well as capital dredging. It also utilises a new generation of electrical submersible dredge pumps (EDOP) that are both clean and quiet, using compact electric motors and frequency converters.
TARGETTING HYDROGEN
C-Job Naval Architects has confirmed the launch of a new range of customisable trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs), which it expects to fill the gap between standard designs and fully tailored vessels.
Argentina is in the final stages of awarding the new dredging concession ‘‘ for the Parana River
OUR EXPERIENCE –YOUR ADVANTAGE
The perfect grabs with unbeatable reliability, leading in efficiency and quality, expedient and economical. Rope-, Motor-, Hydraulic-Grabs
MRS GREIFER GmbH
Talweg 15-17 • 74921 Helmstadt • Germany Tel: +49 7263 912 90 • Fax: +49 7263 912 912 export@mrs-greifer.de • www.mrs-greifer.de
The other interesting factor is that this design process is specifically being customised so that power can be provided by hydrogen-fuelled propulsion systems in future – a clear indication relating to the future likely direction of the power systems expected.
Each design across the new range will be dedicated to a specific type of dredging activity, so including maintenance, multi-functional, and capital dredging activities. The other benefit, according to C-Job is that each design is modular and can be used in the standard format, or can be adapted to better suit its planned use or other customer requirements.
SIZE IS NOT IMPORTANT
There are other dredger design developments and eco-friendly components arriving to support the industry. Jan De Nul Group has launched its new water injection dredger, Pancho.
Jan Van de Velde, Head of the Newbuilding Department, Jan De Nul Group, highlights the rationale and key factors behind this new vessel: “The experience with our existing fleet of water injection dredgers taught us that there was a need for a more compact vessel to reach the smaller corners in ports and rivers. However, despite her compact character, the Pancho has a depth range of more than 20m.” The vessel entered service in March 2022 and is mainly to be deployed in the Argentine market.
Lutra Marine has patented new environmentally friendly dredging technology and has confirmed investment from the British Design Fund, an early stage fund that specifically invests in, and provides support for purpose-led, UK product design and manufacturing companies.
This investment is being provided to enable Lutra Marine to solve a major issue for the dredging sector, namely, how to maintain harbours and ports without causing damage to the local habitats.
The answer is to use high-precision cutter heads to reduce sediment being stirred up. Instead, the dredged material is captured within the cutter head unit and is pumped safely to a disposal location.
8 Spartacus, the
world’s largest and most powerful self-propelled cutter suction dredge and the fi rst able to run on liquefi ed natural gas
EXCLUSIVE DEALERSHIPS
WE ARE THE EXCLUSIVE DEALER FOR SEVERAL TRIPLE A BRANDS IN THE PORT EQUIPMENT INDUSTRY. OUR CLOSE CONNECTIONS WORK TO YOUR BENEFIT: YOU HAVE ACCESS TO SHORT SUPPLY LINES AND A WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS. WHETHER YOU’RE BUYING, LEASING OR RENTING, GPE OFFERS DIFFERENT FINANCING OPTIONS. THANKS TO OUR NETWORK OF LOGISTICS EXPERTS, YOU’RE ALWAYS SURE YOUR MACHINE WILL ARRIVE PUNCTUALLY, NO MATTER WHERE IN THE WORLD YOU NEED IT.
