 | Dredging & Port Construction
"It's today the centre of the dredging and maritime construction universe."
That was the comment from then president of the Western Dredging Association Bill Hanson about Panama and its $5.25Bn expansion of the world famous canal during a conference in the country in March 2009. DPC agreed and we published a major report two months later. But that was before the canal authority (ACP) awarded the core $3.118Bn locks contract, before work really got underway dredging the Pacific entrance, PSA's new box terminal, the notorious Gaillard Cut and the massive Atlantic side dredging contract.
So we'll be back. An update's scheduled during 2010, by which time all those challenging projects will be well under way and we'll be looking at lessons learned by project managers.
It's an approach Dredging and Port Construction's readers have come to expect: as early as possible with pertinent news; analysis and reports as projects get under way, followed by an in-depth study of the challenges, the successes and the pitfalls as projects mature.
Europe's biggest port and dredging contract, the Port of Rotterdam's 3Bn Maasvlakte 2 expansion, is a case in point. From the initial environmental impact studies, the court challenges by green campaigners, through design and planning and the final permits, we've kept readers informed. And now it's actually happening, project leaders are talking exclusively to DPC and we'll publish follow-ups as the project matures in 2010.
That approach is one reason why Dredging and Port Construction's subscriptions continue to grow, not just in Europe, but throughout the world and especially in the Americas. In response, we've expanded our coverage and grown in size most issues run to 50 pages, some are over 60. And of course subscribers also continue to receive the annual International Dredging Directory free of charge. If you're not a subscriber, take our free trial via the website.
"But what about the global economic downturn?" you'd be justified to ask. "Has it had an impact on the port and dredging industries?"
Of course, especially in the Middle East where many reclamation projects have been slowed or put on hold. But dredging is not a luxury; it's essential to world trade and in every region forward-thinking leaders recognise that. President Obama's $billions in stimulus funding, for example, has raised concerns about American dredging contractors' capacity to cope with all the projects now funded and out to tender!
The same story applies to port projects. History has proven that those countries which invest in their ports are the first to recover from any recession. But there's another factor: from initial studies to final infrastructure installation can take ten years, sometimes more. And like Maasvlakte 2, by the time the green flag's finally waved, funding has long since been in place and work starts on schedule.
Sincerely,
Tony Slinn
Editor-in-Chief | |