Boskalis Westminster to dredge Portsmouth harbour for bigger Royal Navy aircraft carriers
British ministry of defence has contracted Boskalis Westminster to dredge the approach channel, inner harbour area and berth pocket of Royal Navy's Portsmouth harbour. This will make the harbour deep and wide enough for Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers.
The contract is worth 35 million euro. The dredging work is due to be complete by summer 2016.
Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth currently under construction at Rosyth dockyard, Edinburgh, UK.
Stringent environmental requirements
In all around 3 million cubic metres of clay, sand and gravel will be removed from the harbour. Dredging works are planned to start in late autumn, using trailing suction hopper dredgers and backhoe dredgers, and will be carried out to ensure the work meets stringent environmental requirements.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation, which manages land and properties of the Ministry of Defence, is in charge of the project.
Project manager Paul Simmonds of Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) said: "DIO has worked closely with our Royal Navy customers to ensure this work will be carried out in the most cost-effective way, taking into account the local marine environment, without impacting on the existing operations at HMNB Portsmouth."
Transformation of Portsmouth harbour
Simmonds: "Along with the 51 million pound jetty upgrade works we announced earlier this year, provision of high-voltage power for the ships when berthed, installation of navigational aids within the channel and the design and production of QEC-specific gangways, this contract forms part of a 100 million pound investment to transform Portsmouth Harbour into a state-of-the-art home for HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales."
This news item was originally published on the website of Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Boskalis.
Read also on this website
● Boskalis awarded three port and river dredging contracts in Angola, Gabon and Senegal, 25 June 2015
● VolkerStevin to build new jetty for Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers, Portsmouth, UK, 23 April 2015
More information
Royal Boskalis Westminster
Fareham, UK
+44 1489 885 933
www.westminster.boskalis.com