Beira Port: Emergency dredging completed

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Beira Port: Emergency dredging completed

1:22 CAT | 11 Apr 2018

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Emergency dredging at the port of Beira will come to an end this week. About three million cubic meters of sediment were removed from the access channel, quays and manoeuvring basins in the port over the last six months.

The operation, estimated to have cost EUR 24.9 million, was carried out by the Dutch firm Van Oord, assisted by the Mozambican Dredging Company (EMODRAGA).

According to Ports and Railways of Mozambique (Centre) Executive Director Augusto Abudo, a final evaluation of the contract will be made by a multi-sectoral team in the coming days.

Abudo explained that about 850,000 cubic meters of sand were removed from the Sofala bank the Macúti curve and used as landfill for the new, multipurpose Quay 11. The dredging operation also widened the access channel from 135 to 250 meters, to a depth of 8.00 metres on straight sections and 9.20 metres on the Macúti curve.

The work, which was supervised by the CFM, will allow vessels up to 60,000 gross tons to use the port 24 hours a day. Prior to that, only vessels up to 33,000 tons could access it.

Abudo also noted that cargo handling would increase significantly, to the benefit of both Mozambique and traditional hinterland port users such as Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi and DR Congo.

In order to maintain productivity and competitiveness, scheduled maintenance dredging will continue for 18 months. The Port of Beira’s 27-kilometre access channel, docks and manoeuvring basins last underwent emergency dredging costing EUR 40.1 million in 2010-11.

Source: Notícias