Boskalis and Van Oord create ‘sand engine’ to reinforce Dutch coastline
A joint venture of Dutch dredging majors Royal Boskalis Westminster and Van Oord has been awarded a contract by the Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management to reinforce part of the coastline in the province of Zuid-Holland by creating a ‘sand engine.’
The total value of the contract is €50 million, with Boskalis and Van Oord each having a 50% stake in the deal.
The project involves depositing 21.5m cu/m of sand in the shape of a hook extending from the coast near Ter Heijde. The sand will be spread along the coastline by the natural motion of wind, waves and currents.
‘This principle of building with nature will reinforce the coastline in a new and natural way, said Boskalis in a statement. ‘The sand engine will therefore be able to contribute to coastal protection while at the same time creating more space for nature and recreation.’
The contract is for engineering and construction, meaning that the further development of the design and realization is in the hands of the consortium. The project was due to commence early in 2011 and is scheduled to take over a year. It will involve the deployment of several large trailing suction hopper dredgers.
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