The dredging of the access channel to the Port of Maputo to accommodate vessels with a sailing draft of up to 14.2 meters on the tide is finally underway.
The first of three dredgers mobilized by Jan de Nul Dredging Middle East FZE, the international dredging company that will be performing this operation, has arrived on May 20 and the first dredging cycle started on May 21.
It is estimated that a volume of 12 million cubic meters will be dredged from the channel during this dredging program which will last 10 months.
Paulo Mata, Port Authority Director of the Port of Maputo , said: “ There is a permanent coordination between the dredger and the team involved and the port operations, in order to ensure the accessibility of the channel. Maritime operations have, of course, priority and the dredging will cause no disturbance to regular port operations.”
Several dredgers and supporting equipment have been mobilized for this operation.
The first one, De Lapérouse, a trailing suction hopper dredger, is currently working 24/7 to ensure a fast and efficient work.
A cutter suction dredger and a bigger suction hopper will arrive in July and August respectively, along with split hoppers, a survey boat, a crew boat and a multitasking boat.
The main goal of this dredging project is to enable access for ships of up to 80,000 tons, making Maputo Port more competitive in regional and international shipping markets.
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