Van Oord has successfully completed the dredging of two new port basins at Ain Sokhna Port, marking a key milestone in the port’s expansion.
The project, awarded by the General Authority for the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Ministry of Transport of Egypt, involved dredging around 21 million cubic metres of soil to accommodate larger vessels and facilitate the port’s growth.
“After our involvement in the second Suez Canal in 2015, Van Oord is extremely proud to have once again contributed to the economic growth of Egypt and the transformation of Ain Sokhna Port into the largest hub in the Red Sea,” said Martin Smouter, director Dredging & Infra at Van Oord.
The dredging operations, which took 14 months to complete, were carried out using Van Oord’s self-propelled cutter suction dredger Artemis and trailing suction hopper dredger Vox Amalia.
These vessels, supported by a versatile fleet, efficiently handled the hard soil and deposited the dredged material in a designated offshore zone about 9.5 km from the site.
Strategically located on the western coast of the Gulf of Suez, Ain Sokhna Port is rapidly developing into one of the largest and most important ports along the Red Sea.
As part of its expansion, the port is adding new terminals for containers, dry bulk, general cargo and liquid bulk, along with logistics and distribution centres.
Future plans also include the development of Africa’s first green hydrogen port and the construction of a high-speed electric railway.
