Maritime transport is the backbone of international trade and the global economy. Keeping up with the growing volume of maritime transport requires both port and waterway development and maintenance. The Harwich project team’s mission is to give the latest generation of container vessels unimpeded access to Harwich Haven and the Port of Felixstowe, the largest container port in the United Kingdom.

Van Oord and its joint venture partner Boskalis started dredging the harbour basin and access channel in October 2021, ensuring that the port will be able to accommodate even the biggest ships. The work is now well underway. About 70% of the channel has currently been deepened from ‑14.5 to ‑16 metres and the expectation is that the project will be completed in the third quarter of 2023. A variety of dredging equipment is being deployed to dredge a total of 15 million cubic metres of silt, sand and clay.

Van Oord’s ambition, to have a net-positive impact on the world, is rooted in our core purpose and values. We engage proactively with the communities that our projects affect and we work to meet local needs and use local knowledge about the environment to improve our sustainable planning and designs. This project involves discharging granular dredged material onto two beneficial islands to protect the coastal area from the effects of climate change and sea level rise. In addition, the islands are a perfect habitat for little terns to thrive and develop into a productive colony.