VNA Deploys New Dredgers to Reinforce the Paraná Waterway Amid Rising River Levels
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
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Vía Navegable Argentina (VNA) has begun mobilizing new dredgers from Singapore and Croatia to reinforce maintenance of the Paraná Waterway. The move comes in response to the rise in the Paraná River registered since mid-October and to heightened attention on the possible effects of the El Niño phenomenon, as part of a contingency plan activated by the company.
Sedimentation risk
The hydrological conditions are being described as extraordinary. During the rise in water levels, stronger currents and floating vegetation affect the channel's signaling and buoyage system. The main challenge comes afterward, once the river recedes: at that stage, sediment can build up in strategic sectors such as the Emilio Mitre Channel, reducing the draft available for vessels.
The current fleet
Five dredgers are currently operating on the waterway: four trailing suction hopper dredgers, Pinta, Nina, Taccola and De Bougainville, and one water injection dredger, the Giovanni Venturi.
Reinforcements on the way
The first addition will be the Francisco di Giorgio, a trailing suction hopper dredger currently sailing from Singapore and expected to arrive in late November. In mid-December, the Ibn Battuta, a cutter suction dredger, is set to arrive from Croatia. By early January 2027, VNA also plans to add the Alvar Nuñez Cabeça de Vaca and/or the Diogo Cão, both trailing suction hopper dredgers, according to the source from Bichos del Campo, which notes that the former is anchored in Chaguaramas, Trinidad and Tobago, while the latter is sailing toward the port of Bissau, in Guinea-Bissau. With all these additions, Global Ports projects a fleet of between eight and nine dredgers, while Argen Ports estimates the fleet could grow from five to eight units during the summer.
VNA's statement
VNA's general manager, Tom Van Slambrouck, noted that the company is facing a challenge that exceeds the scenarios originally contemplated under the concession, and that mobilizing equipment from different parts of the world reflects its capacity for anticipation and its commitment to safety and the continuity of navigation. According to Bichos del Campo, VNA, formerly Hidrovía, is made up of Jan De Nul and Servimagnus, and its goal with this reinforcement is to prepare the sedimentation basins of the Emilio Mitre Channel in order to preserve the depths needed for vessel transit.
