Payra Port Authority (PPA) and Jan De Nul Group signed the contract to kick off the next phase in the port’s development plans. For this contract, which is worth half a billion euro, PPA and Sonali Bank reached financial close in May 2021 with support from Bangladesh’s Infrastructure Development Fund.
The agreement is the result of 5 years of preparations and development planning together with PPA, after both parties entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in May 2016.
David Jonckheere, Area Director at Jan De Nul Group: “We are proud to conclude this period of joint effort with the PPA. We thank their representatives for the open and constructive cooperation, leading us to the signature today. We are dedicated and committed to our Client and all stakeholders, and are delighted to be able to contribute to the prosperous economic development of Payra and Bangladesh.”
The dredging works will start immediately and will take approximately three years to complete. Jan De Nul will mobilize several dredgers to perform the capital dredging works, deepening the ports channel from the current 6.3 mCD to 10 mCD. After completion, Jan De Nul vessels will stay to maintain the depths in the channel.
PPA and Jan De Nul have been working closely together for the development of Payra Port since a few years now.
Last year, Jan De Nul dredged the initial opening of the Rabnabad Channel to a depth of 6.3 mCD. This dredging campaign allowed for the start of increased sea-bound activities to and from Payra. Since end 2020, the Jan De Nul vessels Diogo Caõ and Henry Darcy are maintaining the depth of 6.3 mCD in the Rabnabad Channel under a follow-up contract signed with the PPA.
In the meantime, large civil infrastructure works on land are continuing to unlock the Payra Port region to the Dhaka capital.
Source : Hellenic Shipping News
