Joint venture including DEME awarded contract for Kiel Canal widening in Germany

DEME has been awarded a contract as part of a joint venture for the widening of the Kiel Canal in Germany. Works started in January 2020 and will run until the end of 2023.

The Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration, represented by the WSA Kiel-Holtenau, commissioned the joint venture with the construction work to expand 4 km of the eastern section of the Kiel Canal. The contract carries a total value of approximately EUR 99 million in which the DEME Group’s subsidiaries Nordsee Nassbagger- und Tiefbau and Dredging International will handle the marine dredging works.

The eastern part of the Kiel Canal will be expanded from 44 m to a future minimum bottom width of 70 m, so that larger ships can cross safely in this area. The widening contributes significantly to increasing the efficiency of the waterway, which is important for international shipping.

Extensive landscaping measures will be carried out as part of the expansion of the canal cross-section. In total, around 2 million m3 of soil are to be moved, around 58,000 m² of revetments are to be installed and over 1 million m3 of soil are to be dredged and dumped.

The execution period extends over four years from January 2020 to the end of 2023.
 

DEME is a world leader in the highly specialised fields of dredging, marine engineering and environmental remediation. The company can build on more than 140 years of know-how and experience and has fostered a pioneering approach throughout its history, being a front runner in innovation and new technologies.

DEME’s vision is to work towards a sustainable future by offering solutions for global challenges: a rising sea level, a growing population, reduction of CO2 emissions, polluted rivers and soils and the scarcity of natural resources. Although DEME’s activities originated with the core dredging business, the portfolio diversified substantially over the decades, including dredging and land reclamation, solutions for the offshore energy market, infra marine solutions and environmental solutions.

While the company’s roots are in Belgium, DEME has built a strong presence in all of the world’s seas and continents, operating in more than 90 countries worldwide. DEME can rely on 5,200 highly skilled professionals across the globe. With a versatile and modern fleet of over 100 vessels, backed by a broad range of auxiliary equipment, the company can provide solutions for even the most complex projects.

DEME achieved a turnover of 2.65 billion euros in 2018.