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.

Port expansion, Gijón

The Spanish port of Gijón on the Bay of Biscay processes more than 12 million tonnes of bulk goods annually. With the expansion of global trade and increasing ship sizes, the terminal was lacking capacity to handle the traffic. The maximum draft for the ships of 18 meters is another obstacle to the development of the port. So the Port Authority of Gijón developed a plan for additional modern facilities in an area measuring 145 hectares to the north of the existing port. This includes a bulk terminal with a transfer capacity of more than 25 million tons and a storage area measuring 60 hectares for a maximum of 2 million tons of coal and iron ore a year.

Port development, Sevilla

Seville is located 80 km land inwards and it is Spain’s only commercial river port. Access is along the Rio Guadalquivir. The current dimensions and depth of the port impose limitations on the breadth and draughts of the vessels that use it, putting the future of the port at risk. So the Port Authority developed a New Maritime Approach that provides for the deepening and widening of the approaches to the port.

Port expansion, Fremantle

Fremantle Ports is the Western Australian Government trading enterprise responsible for strategic management of the Port of Fremantle. The Port of Fremantle provides modern deep-water facilities for handling container trade, break-bulk vessels, livestock exports and motor vehicle imports as well as accommodating cruise ships.

Extension cruise
terminal, the Bahamas

In April 2009 Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. was awarded the contract for the extension of the cruise terminal in Nassau from the Ministry of Works and Transport of the Government of the Bahamas. The contract was worth approximately USD 44 million and the project was completed in the first six months of 2010.

Dredging and reclamation, Port of Peterhead

The project consisted of capital dredging, reclamation, quay construction and breakwater extension works for Peterhead Smith Embankment Development, in order to develop the area in the north of the harbour at Smith Embankment to provide sheltered berths for vessels ranging from 20 to 160 m in length.

Dredging and construction, Pluto LNG project

The Pluto LNG project is located about 190 km northwest of the coastal town Karratha, in the Northern Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. The project is a joint venture between Woodside Burrup Pty. Ltd., the operator, with a 90% interest, and Tokyo Gas (5%) and Kansai Electric (5%). The A$12 bn project will process gas from the Pluto and neighboring Xena gasfields.