The much-delayed deepening and fairway widening program on the Elbe River, conducted by the Belgium’s dredging giant DEME Group, officially started July 23, Dredging Today reports.
After a symbolic push on the button, the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Scheldt River kicked off the works, which should be completed early 2021.
In April DEME Group announced it had been awarded the River Elbe dredging contract with an approximate value of EUR 238 million (including VAT).
"The project consists of the widening and deepening of the 116 km long fairway between Cuxhaven and Hamburg to a level of -14.5 m. This will allow ships to sail the River Elbe with a draught of 13.5 m, compared to 12.5 m at present, and not be restricted by the tide and with a 14.5 m draught (tide-dependent) when sailing from and towards the port of Hamburg," DEME said in a media release.
The Waterways and Shipping Administration Cuxhaven (WSA Cuxhaven) awarded the contract for the adaptation of the Elbe fairway to DEME Group’s subsidiaries Nordsee Nassbagger- und Tiefbau and Dredging International.
DEME will deploy its most modern trailing suction hopper dredgers, backhoe dredgers and spreader pontoons for the dredging, transportation and relocation of around 32 mio m³ of material.
DEME has a long track record in Germany for the construction of marine infrastructure dating back from 1968 through its subsidiary Nordsee Nassbagger und Tiefbau GmbH, which is based in Bremen. Since 2004, DEME’s hopper dredgers were regularly deployed on the River Elbe for maintaining the fairway from Cuxhaven to Hamburg. DEME’s vast dredging expertise is also demonstrated by the recent completion of the deepening works on the River Seine in France, and the recent contract award for the modernisation of the Świnoujście – Szczecin fairway in Poland.
About DEME
The Belgian dredging, environmental and marine engineering group DEME is an international market leader for complex marine engineering works. Building on more than 140 years of experience and know-how, DEME has organically moved into several related sectors, such as the financing of marine engineering and environmental projects, executing complex EPC related marine engineering projects including civil engineering works, the development and construction of renewable energy projects, providing services for the oil, gas and energy sector, the decontaminating and recycling of polluted soils and silts, the harvesting of marine resources, etc.