INTERNATIONAL DREDGING COMPANIES SOUGHT BY BARRANQUILLA

The threeberth installation to be known as Santa Caterina Container Terminal, is due to open in early 2007. With a draught of 16 metres it will be able to handle vessels of up to 9,000TEUs. Annual capacity will be in the region of 300,000 containers in the first phase of development handled at a 350,000 sq metre yard. 70% of the cost is being met by the Battistella conglomerate and 30% by the aforementioned Brazilian line which forms part of the Hamburg Sud group. A US$56m loan has been taken out from the Interamerican Development Bank (BID) to finance much of the work.

The Port Association of Barranquilla (Asoportuaria) has approached accredited ambassadors to emphasise the need for international grating companies to bid for the tender to dredge the access channel to the port to accommodate larger vessels. The work, costed at US$20m, initially involves the construction of various structures aimed at protecting the port. The contract, which will last for 25 months, specifies that the minimum depth of the access channel must be dredged to 48 feet, with at least 36 feet available alongside the quays.