Uruguay plans new Montevideo dredging campaigns with Shanghai Dredging Co. and China’s CHEC

Uruguay’s National Ports Administration (ANP) said it is planning upcoming dredging campaigns at the Port of Montevideo with Shanghai Dredging Co. (SDC-CCCC), which operates in Brazil, and CHEC Dredging Co. Ltd. of China, aiming to reach depths of 10 to 14 meters in the outer harbor and at several berths.

ANP authorities and representatives of the two companies agreed to move ahead with the work after talks launched by ANP President Pablo Genta during an official visit to China in February, the agency said. The trip led to an agreement to maintain an open contract for dredging, which ANP uses as a backup to preserve depths when its own equipment needs reinforcement or is not operational, it said.

The current contract, awarded in 2018 to a consortium formed by SDC and CHEC under International Public Tender No. 20.428, covers maintenance and corrective dredging at the Port of Montevideo and includes up to five campaigns, ANP said.

ANP’s dredging management area said in a final report for its institutional project “Comprehensive Fleet and Dredging Study,” presented last week, that sediment accumulation has exceeded the short-term operational capacity it had anticipated.

Dredging budget 2025-2029

To maintain current depths across all ports managed by ANP, the administration has earmarked a total of $114.917 million for 2025-2029, the agency said.

Planned dredging spending for the 2025-2029 period — including ANP’s own operations and contracted work — is 81.3% higher than the amount planned for 2020-2024 and represents 43.4% of ANP’s total planned investments for the period, it said. The plan includes $62.993 million for dredging with ANP’s own resources and $51.925 million for dredging contracted to third parties.

New survey launch ‘Guyunusa’

ANP said a new launch purchased to conduct bathymetric surveys and support operations in the access channel and the Port of Montevideo will arrive in Uruguay in the coming weeks.

The vessel has been named Guyunusa, in tribute to the Charrúa woman, ANP said.

Strategic framework

Dredging management is a priority for ANP’s current administration, according to its “Strategic Guidelines and Priority Objectives” for 2025-2029.

ANP said it plans to develop and implement a dredging plan for ports and waterways under its jurisdiction, including evaluating the acquisition of equipment and vessels. The plan is to include work needed to reach a 14-meter depth along the full length of the access channel, outer harbor, maneuvering areas and other sections of the Port of Montevideo.

Source: ANP

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