Project

Capital and maintenance dredging in the approach channel of the Outer Weser.
Reclamation of the dredged material in the Uberseehafendock in Bremen

Location : Germany
Client :
Wasser und Schiffahrtsamt Bremerhaven
Contractor : Nordsee (DI) - Hirdes - Hegemann
Period : July 1998 – January 1999
Value : 7.540.000 €

Scope of work

Capital Dredging
Maintenance Dredging
Reclamation

General Information

The Weser river discharges in the German Bight, together with the Outer Jade, which forms the maritime access to Wilhelsmhaven.

Description of the works

Capital and maintenance dredging in a 65 km stretch of the Outer Weser, the main access channel from the North Sea to the port, to a uniform depth of –14 m to allow larger vessels to reach Bremerhaven without tidal constraint and allow entrance for the new generation of container ships.
Two trailing suction hopper dredgers Antigoon and Vlaanderen XX executed the dredging works. An estimated 5 million m³ of material was removed.
Half of the volume of sand that was dredged from the Outer Weser deepening found a useful application.
Instead of dumping the load at open sea, the Antigoon was sailing downstream to Bremen to fill in the old “Uberseehafen” site (once the famous Overseas Port of Bremen) and cover the old dock with a thick layer of sand from the Outer Weser.

Besides filling in the old Bremen dockyard, additional use of the sand has been found in the Rodenkirchen road building project and in a reclamation contract at the Bremerhaven fishing port.

Main Equipment

Trailing suction hopper dredger Antigoon
Trailing suction hopper dredger Vlaanderen XX