How Dutch Dredging Is Supporting New Zealand Ports - New Zealand
How Dutch Dredging Is Supporting New Zealand Ports
On a traditionally windy day in Wellington, a delegation from the Embassy joined the crew of the Albatros for an outing in Wellington harbour.
The Albatros is a vessel from Dutch Dredging New Zealand, a subsidiary company of Baggerbedrijf de Boer originating from Sliedrecht, the Netherlands. In 2016, de Boer signed a maintenance contract with 5 ports in New Zealand.
Recently, their contract has been extended for another 12 years, which means that you will be able to spot the Albatross and its sister ship Elba in a port near you for the foreseeable future.
Their mission in Wellington is to deepen specific areas of the harbour entrance, ensuring that large ships can enter the port of Wellington. Due to erosion and sediment displacement, dredging is an essential process to keep ports accessible. In one hour, the Albatros can dredge 1800 m3 from the seabed, and their operations continue around the clock until the job is done.
As New Zealand ports continue to face growing demand to accommodate larger vessels, Dutch Dredging has become a vital partner for maintaining the infrastructure that underpins trade and supply chains. The Embassy team was very grateful for the opportunity to join the crew for an afternoon and see Dutch expertise in action.
On a traditionally windy day in Wellington, a delegation from the Embassy joined the crew of the Albatros for an outing in the port of Wellington.
The crew of the Albatros invited us aboard for a tour around the ship while they conducted dredging operations at the mouth of Wellington harbour. Eugene, Ron, and their colleagues gave very insightful answers to all our questions, from technical operations to their day-to-day life on the ship.
Dutch Dredging is yet another example of a successful Dutch company making a positive contribution to the New Zealand economy. Dutch water management expertise remains vital, and the growth of Dutch Dredging's operations in New Zealand is a reminder of just how much we have to share!
The Embassy team was very grateful for the opportunity to join the crew for an afternoon and see Dutch expertise in action. Thanks for having us Dutch Dredging!