Projects
Peel Ports Maintenance Dredging
For the Peel Ports Term Maintenance Contract, Boskalis Westminster Limited (BWL) provided maintenance dredging services for all of the Peel Ports facilities in the Northwest of England and Scotland. This entailed the surveying and dredging of the Manchester Ship Canal (MSC) from the approaches to Eastham Locks to Trafford Road Bridge in Manchester Docks including Queen Elizabeth Oil Dock; Liverpool Approach Channel and Docks; Heysham Approach Channel, Harbour Entrance and inner Harbour; River Clyde from Greenock to Glasgow.Originally a three year contract with an option for another two, this contract was developed by Peel Ports in conjunction with BWL as a follow on from the previous two ten-year Term contracts executed by BWL for the maintenance dredging of the Manchester Ship Canal, long term maintenance operations in Heysham and on the Clyde as a result of Peel Ports taking ownership of Mersey Dock and Harbour Company (MDHC). While originally designed to be campaign based the contract was developed to better suit the client’s individual port requirements with more reliance on BWL’s knowledge of the individual ports such as MSC and Heysham; a continued campaign based strategy for Clydeport and Liverpool Approach Channel and targeted maintenance dredging based on Peel Ports’ marketing requirements and priorities for Liverpool Docks. The vessels were deployed as and when required to suit the operational needs of each individual port. Operational information, knowledge and experience gained through the historical contracts was utilised to maximise production.
Dublin Berth 50A Development
Dredging for a new berth to a depth of -11.0m CD. The dredge area contained a proportion of contaminated material.The first phase of the works required the dredging of a reception pit, within the site footprint, to -15.0 CD for the disposal of the contaminated material. The backhoe Manu Pekka and split hopper barges Cork Sand and Long Sand were deployed from the Boskalis fleet. Uncontaminated material was transported to the licensed offshore disposal site at Burford Bank in Dublin Bay. Additional vessels were the Dublin Port tug Poolbeg and survey vessel Depthfinder.
Drogheda Term Maintenance
The maintenance works consist of dredging of the River Entrance Channel and Seaward Approaches to the River Boyne and the maintenance dredging of the Navigation Channel to Drogheda, including a number of specified berths.Maintenance operations were planned to coincide with our existing contractual obligations in South Wales, minimising the mobilisation and demobilisation required for Drogheda, with an option for an immediate response should the safe navigational depths of the Entrance Channel reach predetermined critical levels. Regular interim surveys were provided by Drogheda Port Company where required. The works allowed for the most effective dredging by targeting high spots, limiting over dredging beyond the design depth and maximising the tidal window available to the dredger. The expected volume of silts and fine sands to be dredged was 90,000m³ per annum.
Dublin Port Maintenance
The works are for the maintenance dredging of the River Liffey from the East Link Bridge to the outermost section of the Fairway, approximately 1.5 nautical miles seaward of the breakwaters, along with the specified berth pockets within the port area. Bi-annual campaigns in the order of 4 weeks per campaign are undertaken with the dredge volumes expected to be in the order of 400,000m³. The dredge materials are generally silt inside the port and sand in the approach channel. The term contract includes an element of contaminated material up river which is to be dredged first and capped at the disposal area in accordance with the Environmental Protection Agency disposal at sea permit.
Belfast Maintenance Dredging
This project involved the maintenance dredging to restore navigation depths in specified areas of the Port of Belfast. The four main areas of the port are: Area 1 – Central, Area – 2 Herdman Channel, Area 3 – Musgrave Channel, Area 4 – Turning circle, Victoria Channel and Approach Channel.Trailing suction hopper dredgers, Crestway and Medway worked together tom complte ethe dredging works. A contract duration of twelve weeks was permitted, however the works were complete in four.
Brighton and Hove Outfall
The Friars’ Bay Long Sea Outfall (Brighton Outfall) is part of the £300 million environmental improvement scheme to bring cleaner seas to Sussex. The subcontract was awarded to a joint venture between Westminster Dredging and Land & Marine for the assembling and installation of the outfall pipeline. Westminster Dredging carried out the dredging of the trench and Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) reception pit, assisted in the towing, aligning and placement of the pipeline in the trench and backfilled the pipe trench after pipe installation. In addition Westminster Dredging supplied and transported the 60-300kg rock for placement as protection to the top of the diffuser domes and assisted with the recovery of the TBM from its reception pit and its transport back to shore. Westminster Dredging also provided its in-house hydrographic surveyors and equipment to the Joint Venture.