UK Dredging Secures New Contract

Cardiff-based UKD, Associated British Ports’ (ABP) dredging arm, secured the contract after UKD’s two trailing-suction dredgers,

UKD Dolphin

and

UKD Bluefin

, completed a number of trial dredges of the port during the course of 2004. The Port of Bristol contract is the latest in a series of third-party business wins for UKD over the last few months.

UK Dredging (UKD), Associated British Port’s dredging division based at the Port of Cardiff, completed another successful year in 2004, combining its commitments to ABP ports with third-party works, winning both long-term charters

and

one-off dredging contracts.

As well as fulfilling ABP’s maintenance dredging requirements, UKD was appointed by the Irish Department of Defence to dredge Haulbowline Naval Base in County Cork. UKD also undertook dredging projects at Portsmouth Commercial Port on behalf of Portsmouth City Council

and

for HST Ltd at its terminal on the Humber.

ABP said UKD distinguished itself in early 2004 when it was one of the first companies with UK-flagged vessels to be awarded full International Ship

and

Port Facility Security certification by the Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

The year also saw UKD continuing to provide a cost-effective solution to the substantial maintenance-dredging requirements of ABP’s ports.In addition to its in-house operation, UKD markets its services to non-ABP clients. Term-dredging contracts were awarded to UKD by Forth Ports,

and

the Port of Workington.

UKD’s client base also continues to exp

and

through one-off contracts. Combined with repeat business

and

capital-dredging works on the Humber, UKD’s fleet was fully utilised throughout 2004. 2004 also saw UKD continuing to exp

and

its non-dredging activities successfully, with new contracts won in the fields of hydrographic survey

and

buoy-maintenance works. UKD Sealion, the latest addition to UKD’s fleet, was active with a new buoy work term contract in South Wales,

and

has recently completed service contracts for the Port of Mostyn,

and

for water

and

energy provider, United Utilities.