Utrecht dredger returns to Itajaí and resumes access channel dredging

Dredging has resumed in the access channel to the Itajaí port complex after the Utrecht hopper dredger returned to the Port of Itajaí on Sunday, August 30, following an improvement in hydrological conditions in the Itajaí-Açu River basin.

Operated by Van Oord, the Utrecht had suspended operations amid heavy rainfall and high flows in the Itajaí-Açu River basin. Those conditions increased the movement of sediment and suspended material toward the access channel, reducing the effectiveness of dredging at that time.

With hydrological conditions improving and river flows declining, the dredger returned to Itajaí and resumed suction and removal of sediment deposited on the channel bed.

The Utrecht is expected to remain in operation at the Itajaí port complex, provided hydrological conditions allow the work to continue, until the planned depths of the access channel are fully restored.

The length of the dredging campaign will depend on the behavior of the Itajaí-Açu River flows, weather conditions, the volume and type of sediment found, and the results of bathymetric surveys carried out during the work.

While the Utrecht was out of operation in Itajaí, the port authority continued to monitor hydrological conditions and the access channel, including technical surveys to support the resumption of services.

“The Utrecht arrived today at 11:50 a.m. and is already working in the channel. With the improvement in hydrological conditions, we have resumed dredging. If conditions allow, the dredger will remain in operation until we fully restore the planned depths for the access channel,” said Artur Antunes Pereira, superintendent of the Port of Itajaí.

According to Pereira, the work is part of a broader set of measures adopted by the port authority to provide safety and predictability for operations.

“We continue to permanently monitor the behavior of the Itajaí-Açu River and the conditions of the channel. Our priority is to ensure navigational safety and the best operating conditions for terminals, shipping lines and the entire port community,” he said.

Complementary dredging equipment

In addition to the Utrecht, the Njord water injection dredger remains in operation, carrying out continuous maintenance work in the channel.

The two vessels use complementary methods. The Njord uses high-pressure water jets to move sediment, while the Utrecht performs suction and removes material deposited on the channel bed.

The Port of Itajaí authority has been monitoring the effects of weather and hydrological conditions on the Itajaí-Açu River since June. Technical monitoring and bathymetric surveys are part of the port’s ongoing work to track depths and plan dredging services.

About the Utrecht dredger

Operated by Dutch company Van Oord, the Utrecht is a trailing suction hopper dredger measuring 154.6 meters in length, with hopper capacity of more than 18,000 cubic meters.

The equipment removes sediment deposited on the channel bed, helping maintain depth conditions and navigational safety at the Itajaí port complex.

The resumption of Itajaí access channel dredging is closely watched by port users because channel depths are essential for safe vessel access, schedule reliability and the operating capacity of one of Santa Catarina’s main port gateways.

Source: Informativo dos Portos

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