July/August 2017 – DR/LA
ARGENTINA’S PORT OF MAR DEL PLATA EXPECTS DELAYED DREDGING TO FINISH SOON
Port administrator Consorcio Portuario Regional de Mar Del Plata expects to “soon” finish delayed dredging at the country’s Port of Mar Del Plata located in the city of same name in the province of Buenos Aires Argentina. As previously reported by International Dredging Review (IDR) Spanish dredge operator Canlemar SL began maintenance dredging at the local port in February this year. At the time the port’s administrator estimated the project to cost around ARS 56 million ($3.30 million US). Dredging was expected to be completed in May but wasn’t completed until early July. Consorcio Portuario Regional de Mar Del Plata had estimated a June deadline for the Omvac 10 dredge to finish works.
SALVADORIAN PORT AUTHORITY PLANS 2018 DREDGING FOR LA UNION PORT
The Salvadorian Port Authority (CEPA) said in June it plans to dredge the access channel of the La Union Centroamericana Port in the city of El Salvador next year. Despite not disclosing a specific timeline for the proposed dredging project CEPA said it should first perform cleaning works to remove rocks and sediments near the lakes bays and the port’s surrounding channel accesses. The Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) should complete a preliminary sedimentation study about the costs of maintenance dredging for the port’s access channel to its terminal during both the dry and wet seasons said Nelson Vanegas president at CEPA. Additionally the South Korean Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF) is reportedly designing two master plans for El Salvador’s Acajutla and La Union Centroamericana ports in the department of Sonsonate following a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two countries in August 2015. Both port terminals are managed by CEPA. The Salvadorian La Union Centroamericana Port hasn’t moved a single container since 2013 according to a media report from MundoMaritimo. “We have always continued maintenance dredging at our port. We have it at good conditions and we seek to keep it that way until we launch a tender” Vargas said.
EXPANSION OF BRAZILIAN PORT OF PECEM DELAYED ONCE AGAIN
Current expansion works at Brazil’s Port of Pecem in the state of Ceara were postponed for the end of this year following delays. Expansion works at the Brazilian port are 85 percent completed and slowly advanced in the past seven months. In November 2016 only 81 percent of the expansion works at the facility were completed. Expansion works include new berths 7 8 and 9 which are expected to receive cargo ships and container carriers. The port expects to receive larger vessels including the Panamax the Post Panamax as well as Ultra Large Container Vessels. The Port of Pecem has six working berths: two at its first pier two in the second and an additional two at its Multiple Utilities Terminal (TMUT) reaching up an average depth of 18 meters (59 feet).
The expansion of the Port of Pecem in Brazil is 85 percent complete but delayed. Photo: ADECE .jpg|!|)
MEXICAN CITY SEEKS REGULATOR HELP TO ADVANCE DREDGING
The Mexican city of Guasave in the state of Sinaloa is seeking the help of the country’s National Water Commission CONAGUA to advance a proposed MXN 43 million ($2.39 million US) dredging project for the local Sinaloa River. The mayor of Guasave Diana Armenta said guaranteeing safe river levels is a matter of public safety. Talking to local media she recognized CONAGUA has “limited resources” however she didn’t anticipate a timeline for receiving aid from the Mexican government. The about seven years. Silting in the river is becoming a concerning issue for the local city administration which it says followed all the needed steps to receive federal money.
HYPACK RESELLER ORGANIZES SEMINAR IN COLOMBIA
DISSMAN HYPACK’s reseller in Colombia held its first HYPACK meeting in the country this year. The event held from May 10 through 12 at the Caribe Hotel in the city of Cartagena covered most components of the software. “In 2017 we focused on multibeam surveys and this was very well received by the attendees due to the increasing number of HYSWEEP® users in the country” the company said on a June newsletter. HYPACK said it plans to organize a seminar on its DredgePack product following request from local users. “We are looking into it with the help of Jose Antonio Vasquez DISSMAN general manager and we hope to define a date and a place soon” HYPACK said.
DREDGING AT MADEIRA RIVER IN BRAZIL TO BEGIN IN AUGUST
Dredging at Brazil’s Madeira River located between the states of Amazonas and Rondonia should commence in August according to the Brazilian Department of Infrastructure of Transportation DNIT. The national highway department is waiting for water levels at the Madeira River to decline a bit further to then commence dredging. It could either begin by the end of July or early August according to a DNIT official. The JEED-EPC consortium a partnership involving JEED Engenharia and EPC Construções will dredge the Madeira River one of the biggest tributaries of the Amazon following a BRL 80 million ($24.4 million US) contract signed in November in the city of Porto Velho in the state of Rondonia. Dredging should take about five years.
ECUADORIAN GOVERNMENT TO CONTRIBUTE $20 MILLION US TO DREDGE GUAYAS RIVER
The Ecuadorian government has committed to spend $20 million US to help the province of Guayas dredge the local Guayas River. The province will in turn spend another $44 million US according to local newspaper El Universo. The promise to invest $20 million US came as government officials from federal and province levels met at the Carondelet Palace in Quito. They included Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno; the leader of the Democratic Center Jimmy Jairala; as well as former president Abdala ‘Dalo’ Bucaram Pulley. No further details for the potential dredging project were disclosed.
BRAZILIAN PORT OF SANTOS GETS OPERATING LICENSE
In April the Brazilian environment authority IBAMA granted an operating license (OL) for the country’s busy Port of Santos. According to state-run port administrator Companhia Docas do Estado de Sao Paulo CODESP the licensing process involved among other things the development of programs aimed at protecting the environment. Jose Alex Oliva director-president at CODESP said the OL will help the Port of Santos reduce costs. Oliva said that by securing an OL the Port of Santos sends the message to both the private sector and the international markets that it meets all safety requirements. According to official estimates the Port of Santos accounts for about 30 to 40 percent of the Brazilian gross domestic product (GDP). The ceremony was held on April 26 in the country’s federal district Brasilia with several government officials including Environment Minister Sarney Filho IBAMA’s President Suely Araujo and the National Secretary of Ports for the country’s Ministry of Transports Ports and Civil Aviation Luiz Otavio Oliveira Campos. As the Port of Santos secures the OL it commits to executing 25 environment programs. Currently 13 environment initiatives are taking place with others being developed.
