Another Ellicott dredge to work on the Magdalena River project

Another cutter suction dredge of the Ellicott Series 1270 was launched recently in the region of Mompox in Colombia as part of the Magdalena River project.

This is the third Ellicott vessels that is now operating in Mompox. The three dredges are expected to remove a total of 1,700,000 cubic meters of sediment, operating 24/7 over the next 7 months.

The Ellicott Series 1270 is a powerful and robust 18” dredge equipped with digging depth capability up to 50’ (15m) along with an 800 HP main engine and a 375 HP auxiliary engine, a total of 1175 HP. This dredge is ideal for the conditions and demands of this project.

The purpose of the Magdalena River Project is to ensure navigability from Colombia’s main inland commercial hubs to the Caribbean Sea.

Being the most important and largest river in Colombia, it is easy to understand why it is crucial for navigation and for economic and environmental purposes.

The Magdalena River is over 1500 km long, originating in the South Colombia Andes and running north all the way to the Caribbean Sea. Since the 1800s, the river has been very important for Colombia, as goods were transported via shallow-draft steamboats.

To this day, the river continues to be a crucial transportation route for the country. The Magdalena River’s importance is proven, as in the year 2021, a total of 3 million tons of cargo were moved along the river.

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