Barely a month after announcing a new all-time record of €4.24 billion in turnover in 2025, Jan De Nul has reaffirmed its status as a key player in global maritime infrastructure. The group, which has its headquarters in Capellen, has just been awarded a 25-year concession for the Paraná River, Argentina’s main waterway and one of the most strategic in South America.
The contract entrusts the company with the dredging, modernisation and maintenance of this 1,400-kilometre river corridor, which forms the country’s logistical backbone, according to the press release issued on Friday 19 June. Linked to the Paraguay-Paraná Waterway, the river facilitates the transport of goods from the inland regions of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay and Argentina to the Atlantic Ocean. Between 75 per cent and 80 per cent of Argentina’s agricultural exports, mainly soya, maize and wheat, pass through it each year.
For Jan De Nul, the stakes go far beyond the simple terms of a dredging contract. The concession enables the company to collect transit fees from vessels using this strategic waterway and secures its long-term position at the heart of South American trade flows until 2051. However, the group is not entering uncharted territory. It has been maintaining the Paraná since 1995 and is thus building on more than thirty years of local presence.
Expanding its global footprint
The programme also includes a major modernisation of navigation and monitoring infrastructure. Some 1,150 beacons will be replaced, whilst monitoring systems will be upgraded to track critical parameters such as water levels, flow rates and current speeds in real time.
“The fact that we have once again been awarded this contract is a significant milestone. It confirms our client’s confidence in our technical expertise, our reliability and our long-term commitment,” says Christophe Wante, area manager for dredging projects at Jan De Nul.
This latest international success is part of the growth momentum unveiled last month by the Belgian-Luxembourg group. Buoyed by record profitability, a net profit of €458 million and no net debt, Jan De Nul is stepping up its investments to strengthen its fleet and expand its global footprint. Whilst offshore energy remains the main driver of growth today, the Argentine contract serves as a reminder that dredging remains one of the long-standing pillars of its business model.
Source: Reporting by Ioanna Schimizzi for Delano
