DREDGING
24 MILLION m3 DREDGED IN POLISH PROJECT Van Oord and DEME complete massive Polish dredging project.
8 Van Oord and DEME’s ŚwinoujścieSzczecin Fairway project
One of the most important dredging projects in Poland’s history has been completed by marine construction and infrastructure firm Van Oord and dredging company DEME. Approximately 24 million m3 of material was dredged from a channel 65km long, the Świnoujście-Szczecin Fairway, which has been deepened by 2m-12.5m to allow the next generation of vessels to get access from the Baltic Sea to the city of Świnoujście and the port of Szczecin. Two artificial islands were then created from the dredged material, one of which has been established as a nature habitat and has attracting a wide range of birds, including rare species on the EU’s endangered list, says Van Oord. “The rocks below the water are also proving popular with marine life. Additionally, more than 9,000 trees and bushes have been planted as part of the greenery works to create new habitats for the wildlife. Other green initiatives included DEME’s TSHD Scheldt River operating on LNG during the project, hybrid earthmoving machinery, and the use of solar panels at the Trzebiez marina.”
nearing completion, it was hit by two heavy storms leading to a fresh build-up of sedimentation, which meant the team had to remobilise again to dredge to the target depth.” More than 2,000 people worked on the project over its two-year duration, with the JV focusing on getting local parties involved as much as possible. Non-dredging works, for instance, were largely carried out by Polish firms, Van Oord says.
Hurdling challenges Major hurdles, not least the pandemic lockdowns, did not delay the May 9 completion date of the works. ”Despite exceptional challenges, including carrying out most of the work during the pandemic and the presence of large amounts of unexploded ordnance, as well as thick ice in winter, the ambitious project was completed on time, highlighting the tremendous efforts of the JV team,” said Van Oord. ”DEME’s cutter suction dredger Amazone was mobilised at the very beginning of the pandemic, although there were lockdowns in both Poland and Belgium. When the project was
”Ten main dredging units were deployed along the Fairway, including Van Oord’s trailing suction hopper dredgers Vox Amalia and HAM317 and DEME’s Meuse River and dual fuel trailing suction hopper dredger Scheldt River. These next generation dredgers are all able to pump material over long distances – up to 8km in this case without the need of a booster station.” Workers also carried out shore protection work and underwater reinforcements, and installed cables and navigational aids. In total, the partners say 2.5 million man hours were worked.
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Two artificial islands were then created from the dredged material, one of which has been established as a nature habitat and has attracting a wide range of birds, including rare species on the EU’s endangered list
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