1st phase of dredging works Southern Canal Dock completed
At the beginning of April, Port of Antwerp-Bruges completed an important phase in the further development of the Southern Canal Dock. Belgian dredging company DEME moved just under 1 million m³ of dredged material. As a result, ICO now has about 600 metres of extra quay wall for RoRo vessels. This is an important step in the further development of the ICO RoRo terminal.
The development of the Southern Canal Dock is taking shape. The first phase of the works on the ICO terminal – the dredging and removal of almost 1 million m³ of sandy and clay soil – has been completed. DEME excavated the top layer of soil of about 600 metres along the quay wall; the lower layer was dredged to a level of -8.5 mTAW. As a result, the permitted draught at the terminal has become the same as that of the existing berths. As a result of the works, two additional RoRo vessels will be able to moor.
A second part of the work consists of excavating soil surpluses on the port site itself in order to level the site and prepare it for construction. Finally, the ICO will equip the RoRo terminal with parking lanes and parking garages for cars and with facilities for the inspection of vehicles.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges will use the excavated soil to level other sites within the port and to prepare the truck park along the Emmanuel De Cloedtweg.
Increase efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions
The development of the Southern Canal Dock is a good example of port infill, in which the available space is used in the best possible way. Firstly, Port of Antwerp-Bruges, DEME and ICO will make use of existing port infrastructure, such as the quay wall, the dock, the railway line and the road, both during and after the works. Secondly, ICO will focus on vertical use of space by ‘stacking’ the vehicles in parking garages.
The new mooring options at the quay wall mean that the delivered vehicles have to travel a shorter distance to their temporary depot on the site. By further developing some 32 hectares of the terminal in the next phase, the distance between the parking garages and the internal railway will be significantly reduced. In other words, the project will optimise the work at the terminal and reduce the relative CO2-emission.
Dirk De fauw, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “The development of the Southern Canal Dock strengthens our position as one of the most important European gateways. This is good news not only internationally, but also locally, as the dredged sandy and clay soil will be used for the further construction of the terminal itself, as well as for the truck park a little further down the road.”
Rob Smeets, COO Port of Antwerp-Bruges: “This project is a textbook example of port infill: making smart use of the existing space and infrastructure. The development of the site – and the shorter distance to the internal railway that this entails – provides a boost in the modal shift.”
Alain Guillemyn, ICO: “Thanks to our new quay, we are not only reducing driving distances and reducing our carbon footprint, but we are also increasing our capacity for vessels, allowing ICO to further position itself as a major player. In addition, we are increasing safety by spreading ship traffic more evenly. This is an important step forward towards a sustainable and efficient future for us as a company and as part of the port.”
Original article
Image source: portofantwerpbruges.com