Dredging to start on Sydney’s third terminal

Dredging is about to commence at Port Botany, in New South Wales, as part of the first stage of the A$1 billion (US$870 million) port expansion.

Ports and Waterways Minister Joe Tripodi said the dredging process would take a year. “Dredging the bay will ensure we have the capacity to accommodate the expected doubling of trade through the port over the next ten to 15 years,” Mr Tripodi said. “A silt curtain is being installed around the area where dredging is being done to confine sediment and to protect the wider Botany Bay environment.” Mr Tripodi said a cutter suction dredge from Belgium, the ‘Nu Bounty’, would be used during the initial stages of dredging. The dredge measures 50 metres in length, ten metres in width and has the capability to dredge to a depth of 22 metres below water. The ‘Nu Bounty’ will reclaim an area between the existing Brotherson dock and the end of the third runway adjacent to the Patricks terminal. A concrete precast facility will be built in this area later in the year. From early 2009, a larger dredging vessel will complete the dredging activities. “The expansion of Port Botany is one of the largest infrastructure projects being undertaken in Australia and an important component of the [New South Wales’] Government’s plans for the economic growth of [the state],” Mr Tripodi said.

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Blue Marine Acquires Tankers for PEMEX Refinación

Blue Marine Shipping, has acquired two new tankers that shall be leased by PEMEX Refinación for the next 10 years. 

Blue Marine awarded two out of the five tender agreements on May 30, in which PEMEX Refinación invited tenders in order to improve its fleet. The cost of these two new tankers, African Future and Torm Wabash, reached 85.8 million and 98.4 million dollars respectively. The tankers were previously owned by the Torm and Delmod Marine Companies, with which Blue Marine executed a buy-sell agreement. Both tankers fulfill the recommendation of the International Maritime Organization, which establishes that ships without double hull, double bottom, or double side, shall be removed after 25 years. Thanks to this double structure, better operative conditions are guaranteed, as well as industrial safety and environmental protection, which are the main reasons for PEMEX Refinación to renew its current fleet.

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Dubai port operator awards London Gateway contract

Dubai’s port operator said that it has awarded a 745 million dollars contract to British firm Laing O’Rourke and Belgium’s Dredging International for the first phase of a project to develop a port and business park in Britain.

This is the first major contract granted in the 1.5 billion pounds (2.8 billion dollars) London Gateway project, DP World, one of the world’s largest container port operators, said in a statement. The London Gateway project, announced by DP World in November 2006, aims to develop “the most technically advanced container port in the world, integrated with Europe’s largest logistics park,” the statement said. The 400 million pounds (745 million dollars) five-year contract awarded on Wednesday “will see the construction of the first phase of the port’s quay providing three berths and over 1.2 kilometres of quay,” it said. The new port in South Essex “will eventually handle 3.5 million TEU (twenty foot equivalent units), providing a much needed increase in capacity for the UK’s container terminals,” the statement added. The Dubai government-controlled DP World became one of the world’s top three container port operators after its 6.9-billion-dollar acquisition of Britain’s Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co two years ago. DP World said that construction work will begin later this year at the 1,500 acre site, on the former Shell Haven oil refinery near Thurrock.

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