The long awaited dredging of the Tauranga Harbour shipping channels is about to commence. Danish dredging company, Rohde Nielsen, the successful tenderer for the dredging project, will commence work next week.
Port of Tauranga will widen and deepen the shipping channels from 12.9 metres to 14.5 metres inside the harbour and 15.8 metres outside the harbour. The dredging work represents the final building block in the Port’s five year $350 million capital expenditure programme in executing a strategy for the port to become a big ship capable hub port and facilitate for our exporters and importers the blue water savings provided by larger, more efficient vessels.
The first of the two trailer suction hopper dredges, Brage R, arrived earlier in the month. This is the smaller of the two vessels and will commence work on the channel widening. The larger of the dredging vessels, Balder R, is expected later in the year.
A blessing ceremony was held this morning on the Mount Maunganui Wharf with representatives from local iwi prior to works commencing. Dredging is programmed to be completed by August 2016.
