Pilbara Ports has awarded Jan De Nul Australia a dredging contract for the new Zone 5 Bypass Channel at the Port of Port Hedland, according to Pilbara Ports.
The A$50m ($35m) project, announced in Western Australia’s State Budget, is designed to improve safety, efficiency and resilience at one of the world’s largest bulk export ports and a key hub for iron ore exports.
The work will create a bypass channel around a steeper-edged section of the port’s 42-km shipping channel known as Zone 5. Large ships transit the channel within tight tidal windows and move in convoy.
Pilbara Ports said the bypass channel will add to existing passing lanes and refuge areas, helping the port manage maritime risk and keep operations running in the event of an incident.
The project was developed with major port users and backed by technical work including navigational simulations, environmental studies and geotechnical investigations. Dredging is expected to start in September.
Ports and Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson said: “The Zone 5 Bypass Channel is an industry-supported solution that will help ensure trade can continue, even in the unlikely event of an incident.”
Pilbara MLA Kevin Michel said the project would help ensure Port Hedland “continues to operate safely and efficiently for years to come”.
Port Hedland is also part of Western Australia’s Seven Cities vision, a long-term plan aimed at supporting the state’s next phase of economic development.
Pilbara Ports is a Western Australian government trading enterprise responsible for major ports in the Pilbara region, including Port Hedland, Dampier, Ashburton and Varanus Island.
Jan De Nul Australia is the Australian entity of Jan De Nul Group, a Belgian-Luxembourg marine contracting, civil engineering and environmental services group with operations in dredging, offshore energy and port infrastructure.
