Rio de Janeiro: A consortium led by China-based Shanghai Dredging Company has won the contract to carry out the emergency dredging for the flood-stricken port of Itajai (pictured) in Brazil and dredging started this week.
Brazilian Ports Minister Pedro Brito promised that the emergency dredging would be carried out as soon as possible after visiting the port and state of Santa Catarina - where 130 perished in the worst floods for more than a century - in early December.
Shanghai Dredging Company (which operates under the name CHEC in South America) has promised to remove around 3.8m cu m of sediment over the next 90 days, for Reais17.5M. This will, hopefully, allow the free passage of vessels with more than 10 metres draft once again. Depth was down to 5 and 7 m in places for two weeks after the floods, and today is only 7.4 metres
The emergency dredging funding came after president Lula - who also visited Itajai during the State Of Emergency - signed an Emergency Decree (Number 448) to release a total of Reais350M to the reconstruction and re-opening of the port of Itajai.
SDC is represented by CHEC Dredging in Brazil, and the other members of the consortium are Brazilian companies Empresa Industrial Tecnica (EIT) SA and Equipav Pavimentacao e Comercio.
CHEC is also hoping to take a share of the Reais1Bn that Brasilia will spend on Capital (deepening) dredging over the next year. [15/01/09]
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