According to BLU Radio, the dredging contract awarded in the access channel to the port of Barranquilla
The new operator will supply a larger capacity dredge for the removal of about 900,000 cubic meters of sediment.
The Territorial Development Bank (Findeter) awarded the European Dredging Company, through an open call, the maintenance contract for the Magdalena River navigable channel.
The contract is valued at $13,418 million and has a term of three months. The dredging work is scheduled to begin in February.
The new operator will supply a dredge of greater capacity for the removal of approximately 900,000 cubic meters of sediment from the critical areas, thus restoring the navigability of the access channel.
The Minister of Transportation, Ángela María Orozco, explained that this award will provide a dredge with greater capacity for the removal of sediment in the critical areas of the Access Channel.
According to the interview to BLU radio, Mrs Orozco incited that “We are moving forward with this process in an expeditious manner with Findeter to ratify that the National Government remains committed to guaranteeing the draught in this important area while the PPP for the Magdalena River is being awarded.”
Pedro Pablo Jurado, director of Cormagdalena, assured that once the recently awarded contract is executed, which has an execution period of three months, a second call will be made for the contracting of the permanent dredging, which will guarantee the maintenance of the canal during the rest of 2021.
The amount of erosion that falls into the Magdalena river makes its sedimentation at the delta very high. Even though there will be a dredge with a higher capacity, reforestation at the borders of the river is imminent to reduce the erosion carried by the river downstream. The operational dept at the access channel is imminent for the decking of the ships at the Barranquilla port cluster.
