May/June – 2017 DR/LA
PERUVIAN PORT SECTOR TO INVEST $148 MILLION IN 2017
The Peruvian port sector will invest more than $148 million USD in both infrastructure and equipment improvement projects in 2017 as a way to boost the country’s competitiveness the Peruvian port authority APN announced in late April. The expected investments should also help several local industrial sectors including the steelmaking cement bulk cargo and goods transportation industries to facilitate and increase their exports. APN expects to begin works at the country’s General San Martin Terminal Port one of its key projects between May and June this year as part of the proposed $148 million USD investment. The project alone was estimated in $12.1 million USD. Other initiatives include the rehabilitation of the Callao Port’s No. 7 quay at an estimated cost of $12.3 million USD as well as the acquisition of both general and bulk cargo equipment for the facility at an additional proposed budget of $9.8 million USD. Out of the announced $148 million USD investment the country’s Chancay Port should receive the largest amount of resources: $95.5 million USD whose money is expected to be used in the remainder of the year.
CHINESE DREDGE TO RESTORE NAVIGABILITY OF ITAJAI-ACU RIVER IN BRAZIL
A Chinese dredge owned by state-run construction giant China Communications Construction Company Limited (CCCC) Shangai Dredging Co will restore the depth of the Itajai- Acu River near the Itajai Port located in the city of same name in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina to about 45.9 feet (14 meters.) The Chinese dredge named Xin Hai Niu was hired by Brazilian company DTA Engenharia at a cost of BRL 38.8 million ($12.6 million USD) to extract about 4 million cubic meters of jetsam in the river whose navigability was compromised in September 2015 due to intense rains in the region. Dredging should take place in the next few months with money from the country’s Ministry of Transports Ports and Civil Aviation. As dredging advances the port’s ability to receive larger vessels will increase. The dredge is 134.4 meters (about 441 feet) in length is 28 meters (about 92 meters) large and has a 6.5-meter-long (about 21-foot) draft. It was built in 2009 and has been operating in Itajai Brazil since late April.
COLOMBIAN BUENAVENTURA PORT READY TO RECEIVE LARGER VESSELS
The Colombian Port of Buenaventura is now ready to receive larger vessels thanks to a recently completed dredging project at the facility’s quay. Vessels with a 60000 tons carrying capacity can now dock at the port after the $950000 USD dredging project which increased the port’s quay access channel to 44.2 feet (13.5 meters) was completed. The initiative was carried out by local conglomerate Ventura Group and its subsidiary Grupo Portuario. Jan De Nul’s trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD) Filippo Brunelleschi was used in the project extracting 67113 cubic meters of sediment.
VENEZUELAN GOVERNMENTS DISCUSS DREDGING AT THE ESCALANTE RIVER
Venezuelan government officials at federal state and city levels started discussions over the dredging of the local Escalante River which drains into the Maracaibo Lake. Debates involving the country’s Ministry of Eco-Socialism and Waters MINEA the state of Zulia and the city of Colon took place in late April with the aim of preparing dredging at a spillway section of the river. The mayor of Colon Maria Malpica said about VEF 25 million ($2.4 million USD) was available to execute the first phase of the proposed dredging project out of which VEF 15 million ($1.48 million USD) came from the own city resources. Jose Gonzalez Colon City’s coordinator of socio-productive development estimated dredging should be performed in about two and a half months. A T-2000 dredge model with a 3500 cubic meter capacity as well as a multi-functional vessel would be used to extract the sediment along the river. A state-run company owned by the state of Zulia and the nation’s Instituto Nacional de Canalizaciones INCANAL which oversees the administration financing maintenance study improvement and inspection of all of Venezuela’s sea lake and navigation channels should also be created to perform the proposed dredging project.
Representatives of the Venezuelan Ministry of Eco-Socialism MINEA the state of Zulia and the city of Colon discuss dredging at the Escalante River. Photo credit: MINEA.
TENDERING TO SELL DREDGE TO PUNO CITY IN PERU ENDS UP EMPTY
A tendering to sell a dredge to the Peruvian city of Puno ended up empty as none of the final four companies selected to the sell the equipment showed up in a meeting in late April aimed at announcing the winner. A new tendering was expected for mid-May but no deal was closed at presstime. EMPSA Puno the city’s sanitation company opened the bidding to buy the equipment so it could dredge the Lake Titicaca near the Puno Bay. EMPSA Puno said the tendering’s situation has been monitored by the country’s Ministry of Housing and Construction.
JAN DE NUL WINS VERACRUZ DREDGING CONTRACT IN MEXICO
Jan De Nul was awarded a contract for the deepening of the Port of Veracruz located in the city and state of same name in Mexico. The deal is worth EUR 60 million ($67 million USD) the company said adding areas to be dredged include the port’s access channel and its turning basin. The company estimated more than 13 million cubic meters should be removed and reclaimed during the project. “On top of the reclaimed areas five new port terminals will be constructed. These terminals will be able to handle up to 100 million tons per year which is more than the yearly tonnage handling of the largest ports of Mexico i.e. Lazaro Cardenas and Manzanillo” the company said. According to Jan De Nul works should commence this summer and are expected to be completed by March next year.
Jan De Nul’s CSD dredge Margo Polo will be used to extract 13 million cubic meters of sediments. Photo credit: Jan De Nul.
COMPLETION OF DREDGING AT BRAZIL’S CABEDELO PORT CRUCIAL FOR MINERALS EXPORTS
JAN DE NUL TO DREDGE ARGENTINIAN PORT OF SAN PEDRO
