Spectacular end to dredging job in Melbourne port
Port of Melbourne has completed this year’s dredging programme so it was time for Boskalis to ship its largest backhoe dredger, the Magnor, to its next destination.
For the transport, Boskalis chartered the always impressive semi-submersible Blue Marlin of Dockwise, a Boskalis subsidiary.
Summer schedule
Port of Melbourne has ongoing maintenance dredging obligations to ensure that ships can safely berth. For this, the port has to carry out dredging works at various locations within the port precinct and the South Channel in Port Phillip Bay to remove a build-up of sediment.
Dredging activities within the port are conducted, on a routine basis, in accordance with its Environment Management Plan which will include noise monitoring. As reported by CEO Brendan Bourke Port of Melbourne has just completed its summer 2019/2020 dredging programme. ‘This summer 800,000 cubic meter has been removed on time and on budget, without any complaints’, says Bourke.
Fast and accurate dredging
A large part of this year’s dredging was done by backhoe dredger Magnor of Boskalis. It can dredge to depths of 32 metre with the help of its 40 metre ‘legs’ that sit at the bottom of the water way. With a bucket capacity of 45 cubic meter, the Magnor can quickly excavate large volumes of soil and discharge dredged material into a transport barge.
Backhoe dredgers are also being used increasingly for environmental reasons because they minimise turbidity in water. A specific advantage of the Magnor is the on board BK 12700 DD Greenline excavator with a low fuel consumption and reduced emissions.
Another highly effective innovation is Magnor’s use of water cooling for the engines and hydraulics, significantly improving fuel consumption and emissions, and reducing noise levels.
New destination
Upon completion of its dredging work in the port of Melbourne, Boskalis chartered the heavy lift transport vessel, Blue Marlin, to transport the Magnor to its new destination. Off the Australian coast, the Blue Marlin partially submerged so the floating Magnor could be taken on board.
Blue Marlin’s dimensions are 712 ft long and 138 ft deep – and has a deck the size of two football fields.
