Boskalis Strengthens Market Position In Germany

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Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has signed heads of agreement with STRABAG SE for the acquisition of the dredging activities and assets of STRABAG Wasserbau GmbH, formerly known as Möbius Wasserbau.

STRABAG Wasserbau, based in Hamburg, has an annual turnover of approximately EUR 50 million with a broad array of equipment and the agreed transaction price is EUR 70 million.

“We have decided to sell our hydraulic engineering assets to Boskalis, which is capable of operating the business strategically. Within our group, these activities would be consigned to a niche area. We are especially pleased that Boskalis is also willing to further employ the 238 employees of STRABAG

Wasserbau GmbH,” said Thomas Birtel, CEO of STRABAG SE. The transaction is confined to acquiring the equipment, personnel plus a couple of maintenance contracts. The two shallow draft trailing suction hopper dredgers are the most important assets, which with a capacity of 7,350 m3 each, a large modern backhoe dredger and four self-propelled barges.

By this acquisition, Boskalis enhances its home market position in Germany. Moreover, by means of acquiring the hopper dredgers, the requirement to renew part of the Boskalis dredging fleet in the 6,000 m3 to 9,000 m3 space will be fulfilled.

In consideration of this acquisition and the current market conditions, Boskalis will be taking a number of aging hoppers, cutters and backhoe dredgers out of service in the course of this year.

It is the aim to close the transaction in the first quarter of 2016 subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions.

Split Hopper Dredger Omvac Doce Busy In Santander

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The split hopper dredger OMVAC DIEZ has been working for quite some time now in the Port of Santander, which removes an average of 200 m³ of material per day.

Equipped with a dragline, the ship is able to dredge more than 5000 m³ of mud or sand per day at depths of up to 60 meters and lifting stones up to 40 tonnes.

This versatile and multi-purpose self-propelled dredger was built and delivered by the Spanish shipbuilder Nodosa back in 2011 for Canlemar S.L.

The ship, which has been equipped for various types of maritime operations, was designed specifically for dredging river beds, docks, ports, shallow seas, performing beach maintenance, etc.

Main features: 72,70 meters length overall; 12,90 meters of breadth; 4,50 meters of depth, and a capacity of 1,200 m³.

Dragflow Launches New Features

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Dragflow, an Italian manufacturer of heavy-duty pumps and complete dredging equipment, has just revealed to Dredging Today some details about their future business plans.

“These include the development of new kinds of pumps and dredgers to increase the applications in all the sectors, such as dredging, mining, and offshore industry,” said Mr. Roberto Martinelli, Dragflow general director.

“It’s been a very good year. We moved our headquarters in order to have more space to create and realize innovative solutions. We supplied dredgers and pumps for important projects, we designed new dredgers and we can look at this year with satisfaction, looking forward to next year to come,” said Mr. Martinelli.

As part of this program, the company has also completely renewed the company website, to offer a better service to their clients.

“We refreshed and integrated our company website as a natural consequence of our growing business,” said Roberto Martinelli, Dragflow general director.

“Now clients can find more easily what they are looking for or otherwise, they can contact us and we’ll be able to provide the products that they need.”

Cross-Border Cooperation on Flood Protection Launched

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With the signing of a cooperation agreement, the Netherlands and Germany have launched a joint study into flood risk management in the border area between the two countries.

The study focuses on applying the Dutch risk-based approach to cross-border dyke sections in the border area between the Netherlands and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Dutch Cabinet has decided to base safety standards on the risk of flooding. This means that North Rhine-Westphalia and the Netherlands currently have very different approaches to flood protection.

Through this study, the two countries want to identify the differences and investigate what they mean for the safety of residents on both sides of the border.

Mutual responsibility
Both the Netherlands and Germany work hard on flood protection.
The emphasis in the Netherlands is on river widening and dyke improvement projects. In Germany, the focus is on improving dykes and on constructing retention basins upstream.

The two countries are dependent on one another as far as protection from floods is concerned.
Cooperation

The study that has now begun is an extension of the cooperation between the two countries that has existed for many years.

The main focus of the current study is on flood protection in the border area. A joint analysis of the flood risks will be performed and possible measures to mitigate these risks will also be analyzed. In this regard, the consequences of dyke breaches for both countries will also be examined.

Furthermore, a comparison will be made of the Dutch and German approaches to flood risk management.
The results of the study can be used to harmonize flood protection and they will enable investments in flood management to be made in the most effective manner. The two-year study is co-funded by Dutch and German partners.

Rijkswaterstaat (the executive arm of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment) is coordinating the study.

The German-Dutch Flood Management Working Group (Arbeitsgruppe Hochwasser) is the study initiator and is supervising the project. On behalf of the partners, the working group will ensure that the study delivers the desired result.

Gulf Marine Services Moving Operations To Zayed Port

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A contract has been signed by UAE-based port operator Abu Dhabi Ports with offshore contractor Gulf Marine Services (GMS) for setting up a shipbuilding facility at Zayed Port in which GMS will construct and maintain its offshore support vessels that serve the region’s oil and gas industry.

Under the deal, Zayed Port, as a regional hub for the cruise industry, and general and bulk cargo, will lease the new facility to GMS for three years.

GMS, which specializes in the operation of self-propelled self-elevating support vessels (SESVs), is also known as jack-up barges, plans to move all vessel construction, repairs, and mobilizations to the new yard.

The company’s construction and maintenance yard is currently located in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi. By the relocation, Zayed Port is expected to bring substantial benefits to GMS’ business, as the new site is double the size, increasing the yard to 42,500 sq. Ft.

GMS is going to bring subcontracted fabrication work in-house, generating cost savings with the larger capacity. Besides, the location of Zayed Port is operationally more efficient being closer to the channel, with access to the sea requiring just one day’s passage instead of up to six days required from Mussafah due to tidal conditions.

The move will be phased from now to March 2016 when the company’s latest newbuild vessel, GMS Sharqi, is scheduled for completion at the Zayed Port site. GMS’ head office will remain in Mussafah and for supplementary purposes, the yard there will continue to be used.

“GMS’ new facility at Zayed Port is the latest extension of Abu Dhabi Ports’ significant services to the exploration and production sector, which is vital to the economy of the UAE and the region. Zayed Port and two adjoining ports―Freeport and New Freeport―are playing a major role in the important services to this crucial sector,” said Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports.
Followed the relocation, comes with a makeover at Zayed Port which saw container and RoRo cargo traffic being moved from there to the Khalifa Port, opening up the space for the GMS facility.

Terminal A Extension Project Approved

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An environmental assessment certificate to Rio Tinto Alcan for the Terminal A Extension project in Kitimat has been issued by Environment Minister Mary Polak and Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone.
After considering a review led by British Columbia’s Environmental Assessment Office, the decision was made.
The ministers have issued the certificate with legally enforceable conditions that have made them confident to conclude that the project will be constructed and operated in a way that ensures no significant adverse effects are likely to occur from the project.

The certificate conditions were developed followed by consultation and input from Haisla Nation, government agencies, communities, and the public.

Key conditions :
To avoid impacts to fish and fish habitat;
Control marine water quality from dredging and take action if thresholds are reached;
Control marine mammals during pile driving and prevent injury to marine mammals;
Manage and monitor the dredge disposal site, including adaptive management measures in the event that the effects of contaminants are not mitigated to the extent predicted;

Keep the services of an environmental monitor throughout the construction phase, with the authority to stop work if necessary to prevent or reduce adverse effects; and carry out measures to protect marine mammals during construction. Besides, Rio Tinto Alcan proposed a number of design changes during the environmental assessment, which based on feedback received during the process.
Various federal and provincial authorizations would be required by the Terminal A Extension project to proceed.

Besides, the Environmental Assessment Office will co-ordinate compliance management efforts with other government agencies to make sure that the office is satisfied that certificate conditions are met throughout the life of the project.

The project is the extension of the existing Terminal A wharf by up to 250 meters to accommodate bulk carriers. It will take the place of existing facilities for the import and export of bulk materials.
Besides the wharf extension, the project includes a barge ramp, tug dock, and laydown area. The project will involve dredging over for three years, with a dredge disposal site for contaminated dredged sediments and laydown soils and disposal at sea for other sediments.

Construction is expected to take over three years, with the extension in operation for more than 50 years.