Van Oord’s Spanish subsidiary Dravo S.A. has been awarded a number of long-term beach maintenance contracts. These projects will contribute to both coastal defences as well the development of tourism. This year’s beach replenishments in Barcelona and La Pineda near Tarragona have already been completed. Activities on the beach of Playa de Castillo on the Canary Island of Fuerteventura are in full swing.
The works were completed using the small trailing suction hopper dredger that Van Oord acquired early this year. This new addition to the Van Oord fleet was recently named Costa Verde, after the coast of Asturia in northern Spain. With its small dimensions and shallow draft, the ship is very well-suited to the shallow water and smaller harbours that dominate the Mediterranean market.