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Just a few weeks ago, Van Oord and Royal Haskoning DHV, working as part of Team Van Oord, have started the execution of a Sand Motor in Bacton.

The official project name is ‘Bacton to Walcott Coastal Management Sandcaping Scheme’.

A UK-first multi-partner project, the scheme will see approximately 1.8 million cubic meters of sand placed and engineered on these beaches.

The sand placement part of the project will be the most visually striking element of the scheme.

During July and August 2019, sand will be dredged in licenced areas offshore and transported by ship to Bacton and Walcott.

As it proceeds, the project will move from the North West end of the frontage – in front of the gas terminal – to the South East.

According to the North Norfolk District Council, for the project Team Van Oord will use trailing suction hopper dredger Vox Amalia with her large, powerful pumps and engines that enable the vessel to dredge sand, clay, sludge and gravel from sea or river beds.

The Vox Amalia is 158 meters long, 35 meters wide, highly fuel efficient and has a hopper capacity of 18,000 cubic meters.

Overall the Bacton to Walcott Coastal Management Sandscaping Scheme will include placement of:

approximately 1 million cubic meters in front of Bacton Gas Terminal;
approximately 0.8 million cubic meters in front of the villages of Bacton and Walcott.
Estimated scheme costs are between £18 million and £19 million.

The UK’s first ever sandscaping coastal flood scheme is officially underway in the villages of Bacton and Walcott.

The project – named ‘Bacton to Walcott Coastal Management Sandcaping Scheme’ – is being carried out by Van Oord and Royal Haskoning DHV, working as part of Team Van Oord.

During the works, approximately 1.8 million cubic meters of sand will be dredged and placed onto the Bacton to Walcott beaches.

According to the North Norfolk District Council, sandscaping work is expected to progress quickly, starting at Bacton Gas Terminal and working towards Walcott.

“As it proceeds, the project will move from the North West end of the frontage – in front of the gas terminal – to the South East. At the fastest pace, you will see up to 240 meters of new beach completed per day,” the council said.

Overall the Bacton to Walcott Coastal Management Sandscaping Scheme will include placement of:

approximately 1 million cubic meters in front of Bacton Gas Terminal;
approximately 0.8 million cubic meters in front of the villages of Bacton and Walcott.
Estimated scheme costs are between £18 million and £19 million.

North Norfolk District Council, together with its project partners Van Oord and Royal Haskoning DHV are making nice progress on the UK’s first ever sandscaping coastal flood scheme.

According to the officials, it won’t be long until the beaches at Bacton and Walcott are transformed and as such protected for years to come.

They also added that the contractor is about to move the “sinker line”, submerged pipeline that carries the sand from the dredger to the beach from location 1 to location 2, working their way towards Walcott.

The move is expected to take place over the next couple of days.

Sandscaping, which started mid-July, involves a large ship (hopper dredger Ham 318) pumping sand from the offshore borrow site, and sailing back to Bacton where the sand is nourished onto the shore and positioned by bulldozers.

During the project, the contractor will place approximately 1.8 million cubic meters of sand onto the Bacton to Walcott beaches. So far, the beach nourishment is nearly one-third complete.

The sandscaping work is scheduled to finish mid-August.

North Norfolk District Council has just announced that the last load of sand for the Bacton to Walcott Sandscaping project was pumped at Walcott Sunday, 18 August.

According to the Council, hopper dredger HAM 318 completed the sand nourishment work yesterday and is now sailing back to the Netherlands.

They also added that following the completion of sand nourishment operations work will now begin to complete the grading of the beach and demobilize all the equipment from the area.

“Team Van Oord will now complete any work necessary from the south east, heading north west clearing any remaining equipment and fully opening the beaches,” the Council said in the report.

Bacton to Walcott Coastal Management Scheme is the UK’s first ever sandscaping coastal flood scheme. The project is being carried out by Van Oord and Royal Haskoning DHV, working as part of Team Van Oord.

The HAM 318 pumped the first load of sand on the beach on 12 July. Since then around 1.8 million cubic meters of sand has been placed along the beach starting to the east and moving north-west in the direction of the Bacton Gas Terminal.