Partner Article

Port operation gets underway

A major dredging operation is underway at the Port of Tyne to deepen the river to accommodate even bigger ships at the Port’s base at Riverside Quay.

The berth on the south bank and the main river channel will be deepened by almost one metre, creating 13 metres of deep water at the berth and 10 metres in the channel, setting a new record for the Port of Tyne with the river deeper than ever before.

The dredging is part of a £4m investment in improving the Port’s infrastructure which includes engineering work already carried out to strengthen Riverside Quay.

Ten weeks of almost constant dredging by a powerful Trailing Suction Hopper vessel will see around 700,000 cubic metres of silt removed from the river - enough to fill the Albert Hall nine times or to completely fill St. James’s Park Stadium.

Andrew Moffat, Chief Executive Officer Port of Tyne, said: “The industry trend is for even bigger ships and these improvements for the quay and deepening the river will mean we can accommodate these vessels.

“It also significantly expands the Port’s capacity, as the Panamax bulk cargo vessels will be able to carry around 6,000 tonnes more cargo on each visit. This increases efficiency for our customers and helps us maintain a competitive advantage for the Port of Tyne.

“It is good news for business across the North East region, as this further improvement to the Port’s infrastructure will enable companies to get cargoes to their destination quicker and more efficiently.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .