The Port of Natal in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, has completed the first phase of the dredging operations on its access channel through the Potengi River and is now awaiting an environmental permit to begin the next stage.
The dredging program, completed in August, removed around 1.2 million cubic meters of sediment and increased the channel depth from 10.5 meters to 12.5 meters, local media reports.
Commenting the news, Paulo Sidney Gomes Silva, technical and commercial director at Rio Grande do Norte state dock company Codern, said: “Previously, at the depth we had, we could receive vessels up to 202 meters long with a beam of 30 meters. With this maintenance dredging, we have increased that to 232 meters in length and a beam of 35 to 40 meters. That expands the possibility of new vessels calling at the Port of Natal.”
Following the sediment removal works, the inspection team is now checking the leveling of the areas covered by the project.
The previous maintenance dredging campaign on the channel was carried out in 2009.