Boskalis and Van Oord ready for Harwich dredging project

The dredging works are due to start on the Harwich Haven Channel Deepening Project.

On or around September 30, the trailer suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Sospan Dau will start dredging the main channel, disposing material to the beneficial disposal schemes at Horsey Island and Mersea Harbour.

The dredging contractor is the Boskalis Westminster/Van Oord Joint Venture, appointed by the Harwich Haven Authority (HHA) to carry out the Harwich Haven Channel Deepening Project.

“The dredge area is a section of the main channel known as area C2 covering the whole width of the main channel and running from about 250m east of the Platters / Pitching Ground buoys to about 1,000m west of the same buoys,” said HHA.

Dredged material will be disposed of to two beneficial disposal schemes, one on the northern end of Horsey Island (Hamford Water) and to four separate sites in Mersea Harbour (at Cobmarsh Island, Old Hall Marsh, Tollesbury Wick and Packing Marsh Island).

The current program is to start disposal work at Horsey Island on or about 30 September 2021.

According to HHA, disposal will be carried on every high water (weather permitting), day and night, either by direct pumping of material over the bow of the dredger, or via a floating pipeline. Connection of the dredger to the pipeline and positioning the placement end will be carried out by the Multicat MCS Anekke.