Dutch Dredging signed two major contracts in Wellington, New Zealand, on 28 August. One concerns the expansion of dredging maintenance for a consortium of New Zealand ports. The other oversees a channel deepening in the port of Tauranga.
The maintenance contract for the ports is an extension of the ten-year contract signed in 2016, through 2037. In addition to Tauranga, Timaru, Taranaki, and Lyttelton, Gisborne and Nelson have now also joined the partnership. The contract, worth approximately EUR 33 million, will be executed by Dutch Dredging’s local team, which, including the trailing suction hopper dredger Albatros, has been active in the country ‘down under’ for many years.
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Channel deepening project
Dutch Dredging will also be working in Tauranga to further deepen the channel, making it accessible to vessels with a deeper draught. This work, which will last for approximately a year, will be carried out in collaboration with a local partner and has a value of approximately EUR 30 million.
Dan Kneebone, General Manager Property & Infrastructure: ‘This project is an important step in relieving congestion and future proofing the port for the next generation of larger vessels. Partnering with Dutch Dredging gives us confidence that the work will be delivered to the highest standard, with minimal disruption to port users.’
Contribution to infrastructure and the economy
For Dutch Dredging the contracts strengthen the company’s presence in the region.
‘With both projects, we ensure that the ports remain easily accessible and thus contribute to the sustainable development of the local infrastructure and economy,’ explains Dutch Dredging’s Managing Director Kees van de Graaf. ‘It is a reward for the good work done by our local team in recent years. Their quality and dedication have made these new opportunities possible.’
Dutch Dredging
Dutch Dredging is a medium-sized dredging company based in Sliedrecht, the Netherlands. The company’s activities consist of dredging, surveying, and other hydraulic engineering work in the broadest sense. The family business has existed for about half a century and has grown into an organisation with approximately 275 employees and thirty vessels. In the Netherlands the company uses the name “Baggerbedrijf De Boer”.
Picture: The Albatros in action at the Port of Lyttelton (photo by Nick Tolerton).
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