The Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz put out to tender the technical assistance for the collection and analysis of dredged material samples, as well as the drafting of the Compatibility Report with the Marine Strategies and the Environmental Monitoring Programme corresponding to the future maintenance dredging of the La Cabezuela-Puerto Real dock.
The contract constitutes an essential preliminary step to undertake the dredging works that this port facility periodically requires, especially at the South quay, with the aim of maintaining adequate safety and operability conditions for maritime traffic.
The La Cabezuela-Puerto Real dock requires regular maintenance of its drafts due to the natural accumulation of sediments. Beyond minor specific works carried out in recent years, the last general dredging was executed between September and November 2017. After the latest bathymetric checks carried out by the Port Authority, it was considered necessary to initiate the technical and environmental processing for a new operation.
The technical assistance now tendered includes, firstly, the design of a sampling campaign of the existing sediments in the area to be dredged. Subsequently, surface samples will be taken using a Van Veen grab and deep samples using Vibrocorer equipment capable of reaching up to nine metres in depth.
All samples will be identified, photographed, described and subjected to laboratory analysis to determine their characteristics and classification in accordance with the Guidelines for the Characterisation of Dredged Material and its Relocation in Waters of the Maritime-Terrestrial Public Domain.
The works also include the preparation of a summary report of results and characterisation of the sediments, a document that will serve as a basis to define the execution conditions of the future dredging.
Along with the characterisation of the materials, the awarded company must draft the Environmental Monitoring Programme that will accompany the operation, establishing the necessary monitoring and control measures to guarantee the protection of the marine environment during the works.
Likewise, the contract includes the preparation of the document with the necessary information for the drafting by Costas of the Compatibility Report with the Marine Strategies, required by current state regulations.
Once these studies are completed and the relevant authorisations obtained, the maintenance dredging can presumably be carried out using a trailing suction hopper dredger, with the material discharged in a maritime area authorised by the Maritime Captaincy of Cádiz.
The execution period for this technical assistance will be three months. With this action, the Port Authority of the Bay of Cádiz continues working to guarantee the competitiveness and efficiency of its infrastructures, while ensuring that all operations are carried out with the utmost technical and environmental rigour.
