Blankenberge dredging scheme in full swing

DEME Group’s cutter suction dredger (CSD) ‘Vlaanderen XVI’ is currently working in one of her favorite “sweet spots” along the Belgian coast.

The CSD is performing a maintenance project, dredging sand in the harbor of Blankenberge and spraying it directly to the foreshore via a 750m floating pipeline.

On a yearly base, the harbor channel has to be dredged because heavier weather causes a lot of sedimentation. Many cubic meters of sand are currently in the way to sail in or out of the port properly and safely.

“Our vessels can regularly be spotted performing maintenance works in our home market for marinas such as Ostend, Zeebrugge and Blankenberge,” said DEME.

Creating and maintaining sufficient draught in the Flemish coastal marinas of Nieuwpoort and Blankenberge and the marina docks of Ostend and Nieuwpoort is one of the core tasks of the Coastal Division – Afdeling KUST.

In Nieuwpoort, Ostend and Blankenberge, they carry out maintenance dredging-works every year. In Zeebrugge, this is done every three years.

These works are carried out as much as possible outside of the sailing season so that the Coastal Division causes minimum disturbance for recreational navigation and seeks to maintain the various zones at the appropriate depth for the summer season.