Dredging of new or approach channels

The development of new berths and deepening of the port’s approach channel require large volumes of dredging of seabed and involve sizeable investment. While different degrees of technological sophistication, in terms of the requirement of dredging vessels and other dredging equipment are needed in different projects, bulk of the demand for dredging actually flows from two categories of dredging in the port sector, viz. capital dredging and maintenance dredging. Ports provide the main stay of demand for the dredging industry, accounting for bulk of the turnover of dredging companies. However, economies of scale in the dredging industry require support also in terms of many other non-port related dredging activities such as dredging for inland waterways, reclamation of sea land, construction of bridges etc.


The aggregate Indian market for dredging, mainly from the port sector is estimated to be currently worth about Rs. 6 billion, with a major market thrust coming from development of new as well as existing ports. A sizeable demand is also expected to come from future development of inland waterway development and deepening of draft of approach channels at some of the major ports like JNPT. Dredging thus, constitutes one of the major continuous activities being undertaken in the port sector and has a substantial cost component attached to it, out of the total port development project costs.

Broadly, the dredging market in Indian port sector can be categorized into two segments:


Capital Dredging
Dredging of new or approach channels, construction of new berths and other marine-side infrastructures like single bouy moorings (SBMs), jetties and wharfs etc., require artificial draft to be created at the time of establishing the
facility, which can be termed as capital dredging. However, most of the Indian major ports have been established several decades back and since existing drafts of these ports are often adequate for contemporary larger vessels to call on them, capital dredging projects need to be undertaken for deepening the existing draft of the existing approach channel and berths. One of the ambitious capital dredging projects currently in the reckoning is the proposal for deepening and
widening of the approach channel of Jawaharlal Nehru Port (JNPT), to pave way for mainline container vessels to call on the port. The government has also been trying to revive the Sethusamudram Canal project, which promises to the largest ever project to be conceived in India’s maritime history. Though the Sethusamudram
project has many in-built advantages for India, the vast dredging volumes involved in the project is mind-boggling and proponents of the project have found it difficult to justify the project on commercial terms.

Capital dredging projects in Indian major ports have tremendous scope with most Indian ports seeking to upgrade their marine infrastructure to attract larger vessels. The proposed project for deepening of the approach channel to JNPT is one of the most ambitious capital dredging projects in pipeline, that is expected to open up the Nhava Sheva port for mainline shipping operations. The ports of Ennore and Tuticorin have also undertaken major capital dredging projects for deepening their approach channels. With increasing emphasis on building the port capability for handling ever larger ships, the port sector’s requirement for deeper draft facilities is increasing in all major ports. dredging pump ,  sand pump, and gravel pump  had play an important role in the process.