TSHD Albatros ready for Port Taranaki dredging job

A dredging campaign to keep Port Taranaki’s shipping channel clear and safe for trade will get underway next week.

The biennial maintenance dredging campaign, which will remove sand and sediment build-up in the harbor channel and berth pockets, will begin on March 4, and take approximately 6 weeks.

Port Taranaki general manager infrastructure, John Maxwell, said that a hydrographic survey had been completed ahead of the campaign to establish the areas of focus and the approximate amount of sand and sediment that will be removed to maintain the channel depth of 12.5 meters.

“The sand and sediment are driven into the port by the predominant current and wave action that hits the Main Breakwater,” Maxwell explained.

“During the campaign, we expect approximately 400,000m³ of material will be removed and deposited at our two consented drop sites. Fine sand and sediment are deposited at the offshore area, which is about 2km offshore from the port, and clean coarse sand is dropped at the inshore area, which is about 900m off the Todd Energy Aquatic Centre,” he said.

Trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Albatros, owned and operated by Dutch Dredging, will carry out the dredging campaign, operating from 6am-6pm, 7 days a week.