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Port expansion, Balboa

The plans to expand the Panama Canal represent one of the most important infrastructure improvements of the 21<sup>st</sup> century. Since its opening in 1913 the Canal has provided the shortest and most economically viable shipping route from Pacific to Atlantic seaports. With the ever-increasing size of modern-day vessels, it was inevitable that the Canal would need to be widened and deepened. The expansion of the Canal has made the extension of the Port of Balboa at the mouth of the canal on the Pacific Ocean a necessity. The Phase 4 projects included Marine Works and Civil Works to improve two existing berths and to build a completely new berth capable of handling not only Post Panamax but also Super Post Panamax ships.

In 2007 a contract for the improvement behind berths 16 and 17 at the container port of Balboa was awarded to Boskalis by Panama Ports Company SA, a member of the Hutchison Port Holding Group of Hong Kong, to be completed in a 15 month timeframe. Soon after, other contracts to build a completely new berth followed. The contract required dredging, reclamation and improvement of water and land areas. At Berth 18, in addition, drilling and blasting rock was necessary. 

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Expansion coal terminal, Muuga

The Muuga Coal terminal, sited on a bay, east of the existing port of Muuga, is to handle some five million tons of Siberian coal a year for destinations worldwide. The coal is shipped to Muuga by rail. Future developments may include container berths and steel facilities. The main contractor for the development of the Muuga coal terminal was the Estonian project management group A.S. Merko Ehitus. The dredging subcontract was awarded in late May 2003 to Terramare Eesti O.Ü., the Estonian arm of the Finnish-based Boskalis group company Terramare Oy.

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Construction drilling island and ice barriers, Kazakhstan

Agip Kazakhstan North Caspian Operating Company B.V. (Agip KCO), a consortium of eight leading oil companies, is active in the northern section of the Caspian Sea. The gas and oil reserves in this area were mapped out in 1998 and 1999. To allow for their exploitation, Boskalis International has created an artificial island measuring 225 x 225 meters, and underwater berms, for Agip KCO. Four years later, the time was ripe for the construction of the drilling island and ice barriers. Once they were in place, Agip KCO could start to extract and distribute the oil reserves.

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Port construction, Daya Bay

In Daya Bay, P.R. China, a USD 4.3 billion petrochemicals complex was being built by CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company (CSPC). Daya Bay is located in the southwest of China, Huizhou Municipality, Guangdong Province. The project called for the construction of two marine facilities, one nearby the petrochemicals complex, the other one further offshore. Early 2004, the Boskalis International B.V. and Nanjing Changjiang Waterway Engineering Bureau (NCWEB) partnership commenced dredging for the CSPC Nanhai Petrochemicals project. Key requirement of the project was to preserve the sensitive environment in Daya Bay. Hydronamic, Boskalis’ own engineering consultancy, designed the required monitoring plan and took responsibility for its implementation.

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Creation artificial lagoon, Barcelona

Increasing or compensating nature is one of the challenges in modern infrastructural projects. Within the scope of the extension of the Port of Barcelona compensation was required for nature to be preserved. A natural reserve, south of the Port of Barcelona and north of the International Airport of Barcelona, had to be increased and was realized within the city limits of Prat de LLobregat by the use of the cutter suction dredger Para and its auxiliary equipment.

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Port development, Coega

The Coega port project - on Algoa Bay at the mouth of Coega River - is designed to act as a catalyst for regional economic development. The new port and its adjacent Industrial Development Zone, 20 km east of Port Elizabeth, are described as South Africa's largest infrastructural development scheme for a decade. 

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Cleanup petroleum harbor, Amsterdam

The Amsterdam Petroleum harbor on the North Sea Canal has been used for the storage and transshipment of oil products since its construction in 1887. Over many years routine operations and unchecked discharges resulted in severe contamination of the harbor.