Itajaí-Açu River Port Complex Welcomes New Suction Dredger

The Itajaí-Açu Port Complex welcomed a new suction dredger to facilitate ongoing maintenance operations in the access channel to the terminals. Departing from the Port of Santos in São Paulo, the Hopper-type suction dredger “Utrecht” arrived in Itajaí last Friday, April 19th.

The dredger’s mission is to ensure the safe passage of large vessels entering and exiting the Port Complex. Additionally, it aims to mitigate flood impacts by restoring the channel’s depth to 14 meters and enhancing the drainage capacity of rainwater from the Itajaí Valley.

Operating along the access channel, the vessel will also conduct dredging in Maneuvering Basins I, located in front of the ports of Itajaí and Navegantes, and II, encompassing the Afonso Wippel Bay/’Saco da Fazenda.’ The dredger assists in removing solid materials from the channel bed.

“For the Port of Itajaí and its entire port complex, in the coming weeks, with full support from the Federal Government, financial resources will be allocated to ensure ongoing dredging maintenance. Itajaí is the only port in Brazil to conduct continuous dredging since 1999. Maintaining the river’s depth between 13 and 14 meters is essential. We acknowledge the challenges involved in sustaining this service, as dredging accounts for approximately 70% of our monthly budget, amounting to approximately R$ 7 million. We have an ongoing dredging contract until December this year with Van Oord, a Dutch company ranked among the top five dredging firms globally,” emphasized Fábio da Veiga, Superintendent of the Port of Itajaí.

The equipment will operate alongside the dredger Njord, which injects powerful jets of water into the riverbed to dislodge and remove sediments from the channel.

On the New Dredger:

Manufactured in the Netherlands in 1996, the “Utrecht” dredger weighs 26,016 tons. It has a cargo hold capacity of 18,292 cubic meters for sediment storage, with dimensions measuring 159.65 meters in length and 28.03 meters in width. This suction dredger collects sediments, loads them into its hold, and discharges them into designated offshore areas, located within 5 nautical miles, or equivalent to 10 miles from the access channel exit to the complex, as determined by environmental authorities.

Operating continuously 24/7 since its arrival in Itajaí, there is currently no projected end date for the dredger’s work cycle in the port complex. This marks the second time the “Utrecht” dredger has been deployed to continue maintenance dredging operations in the municipality, following its initial deployment in January 2019.

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