Our powerful Damen Multicat Wind Lass is currently in Antwerp assisting dredging giants Jan De Nul (JDN) as they dredge a trench across the River Scheldt for a groundbreaking new road tunnel construction project.
Windlass is working 24hrs a day / 7 days a week currently providing vital support to JDN‘s giant cutter suction dredger Fernao De Magalhaes, as it dredges a deep path across the river bed. When ready huge pre-assembled road tunnel sections will be floated 100km from Zeebrugge down the North Sea and then into the Scheldt. The sections will eventually arrive at the newly dredged trench to be precisely positioned and fixed in a unique feat of engineering joining two sides of Antwerp together under the river.
The work is very challenging and demanding with the river flowing 4 knots or more in what is also a very busy and active waterway. Wind Lass is in constant demand with requirements to attend and assist the cutter dredger and other support ships. Lifting and shifting general stores and cargo, anchor and replacement cutter handling, water, waste and personnel transfers and many other essential tasks are all on Wind Lass’s job list, vital to keep the project moving forward.
“The jewel in the crown of this crucial infrastructure project, the Scheldt tunnel will be the most important connecting element in the Oosterweel link and closes the Antwerp Ring Road on the north side. The tunnel has a total length of 1,800 m and will be built according to the ‘immersed tube’ method.”
Despite the challenging work, Wind Lass is in its element. Capable of a powerful 37.2 tonne bollard pull from 3x Cat C32 TTA engines and equipped with two powerful 230tm deck cranes, tow and anchor handling winches and with substantial deck space, few jobs are beyond its capabilities. Its shallow draft makes it perfect for movement around the variable depths of the site. And with ample fresh water capacity and air-conditioned accommodation for up to 6 people, Wind Lass is ready to go around the clock.
Footage of the cutter suction dredger Fernao de Magalhae at work at the construction site, taken from our Damen multicat Wind Lass
The 1.8 km long tunnel will have three lanes in both directions with an escape tube and a separate six-metre-wide bicycle tube in between and is planned to be open by 2030. This is a genuinely epic project that we are excited to be working on and you can find more specific details of the whole project at:
https://www.jandenul.com/projects/scheldt-tunnel-belgium
And here is an article on an historically significant find in the dredging spoil from the project here:
If you have a requirement for specialist marine operations in shallow or near shore projects, please feel free to get in touch to see where we can help.