Dredging360.com

The Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC) has awarded to Belgium’s Jan de Nul Dredging the first maintenance dredging of the access channel to the port of Maputo, the company indicated in a statement released on Monday in Maputo.

This is to be first dredging of the access channel since it was made deeper, from -11 metres to -14.3 metres. It will cover the channels of Matola, Catembe, Polana, Xefina and Norte and involve the removal of 1.4 million cubic metres of sediment.

The MPDC also indicated that the maintenance dredging will begin this October and last for four months, guaranteeing that the activity would not disrupt normal port operations in any way.

The MPDC is a partnership between the state-owned CFM ports and railways enterprise and the company Portus Indico, comprising the Grindrod (South Africa) and DP World (Dubai) groups and the local company Moçambique Gestores.

The Luxemburg-based company Jan de Mul Dredging Ltd has won the public tender for maintenance dredging of the access channels to the port of Maputo, according to a Monday press release from the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC).

The access channels were completely dredged in 2016-17, increasing their depth from 11 to 14.3 metres. The maintenance dredging will keep the channels at this depth.

The dredging is due to begin n October and will take four months. An estimated 1.4 million cubic metres of sediment will be removed from the channels.

The MPDC release promises permanent coordination between the dredging team and port operations, to ensure that the access channel remains open to shipping. MPDC pledges that the dredging will not cause any disturbance to normal port operations.

Alongside the dredging, the MPDC is undertaking full rehabilitation of quays 6, 7, 8 and 9, which should be completed by the second quarter of 2020.

MPDC is a consortium formed between Mozambique’s publicly owned ports and railways company, CFM, Grindrod of South Africa. DP World of Dubai and the private company Mocambique Gestores. The Mozambican government has leased out the port to MPDC until 2033.