Construction and maintenance of ports

Project highlights

Creating Gorgon

In 2009, Boskalis was awarded a contract on the Chevron-operated Gorgon Project, one of the largest and most complex contracts to be undertaken in our history. Our scope of work included the design and construction of some of the port facilities at Barrow Island.

Duqm port construction

This extraordinary EPC project we dredged a new harbor basin and entrance channel with a depth of 18 meters, constructed a kilometer-long quay wall, two 400 meter-long jetties and reclaimed land for a port platform including ground improvement and associated 4 km shore protection.

Co-creation in Brazil

From 2011-15, Boskalis was involved in the construction of one of Latin America’s largest port-industry complexes in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Boskalis dredged two huge access channels, a turning basin, an inner channel, mooring berths and constructed revetments for the breakwater and over 13 km of access roads.

Dredging techniques

Trailing suction hopper dredger

Trailing suction hopper dredgers can fill their own holds (hoppers) by sucking material from the seabed using a trailing suction head fitted to pipes that trail over the bed as the ship sails.

Cutter section dredger

Dredging with a cutter suction dredger takes place while the vessel is moored with spuds or anchors and consists of powerful cutting action combined with suction.

Backhoe dredger

A backhoe dredger (BHD) is a hydraulic excavator installed on a pontoon. Dredging is executed by the excavator which is mounted on a turntable at the front of the pontoon. The backhoe dredger is mainly used for dredging in shallow or confined waters.

Construction of
Marker Wadden

Boskalis has been awarded the first phase of the Marker Wadden development in the Netherlands. The project includes the construction of an island with underwater landscaping. The Marker Wadden are natural islands that will be developed in the Markermeer lake in the years to come. They will provide a major boost for the ecological quality of the Markermeer lake. The natural shores of the islands will give fish more opportunities to spawn and feed. As a result, large numbers of birds such as terns and waders will return to the area because there will be more food for them. The construction of the Marker Wadden will transform the map of the Netherlands.

Outer harbor channel widening, Adelaide.

The Port of Adelaide is the primary port in South Australia, located at Outer Harbor. The port is operated by Flinders Ports Pty Ltd (Flinders Ports) and handles both container and cruise vessels, contributing significantly to the State’s economic activity. Flinders Ports identified the need for an upgrade of the existing infrastructure driven by the emergence of Post Panamax class vessels. To meet this growth the existing channel had to be widened to accommodate vessels with a maximum width of 49 m without operational restrictions. Flinders Ports contracted Boskalis to execute the dredging works.

Johan Sverdrup, transport.

Samsung Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. is Equinor’s Fabrication and Transport contractor of the Johan Sverdrup project. Boskalis has been awarded by Samsung as transportation contractor for this project.

IJsseldelta

The IJsseldelta project is part of the national Room for the River program, which comprises over 30 measures aimed at upgrading the flood defenses in the Dutch river areas. The project involves lowering the summer bed of the Lower IJssel river along a length of 7.5 kilometers near the town of Kampen and creating a bypass to the south of Kampen.

Port expansion, Tuas Mega Port Singapore

Boskalis is part of a consortium that won a contract related to the construction of the Tuas Mega Port in Singapore. After Shanghai, Singapore is not only the world's largest container port, it also handles 50% of global crude oil production and it is the planet's busiest transit port. The port is the economic motor of Singapore, which is constantly struggling with a shortage of land.

Construction of greenfield port and breakwater for Dangote quays Lekki

The Dangote Group, owned by Aliko Dangote, is building Africa’s largest oil refinery and fertilizer plant in Lekki, 60 kilometers east of Lagos, Nigeria. To facilitate the import of out-of-gauge components and other materials required for construction activities, a port was constructed