before the epa chatham rock phosphate marine … · 2019. 4. 6. · boskalis deployed equipment...
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BEFORE THE EPA CHATHAM ROCK PHOSPHATE MARINE CONSENT APPLICATION IN THE MATTER of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf
(Environmental Effects) Act 2012 AND IN THE MATTER of a decision-making committee appointed to consider a
marine consent application made by Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited to undertake rock phosphate extraction on the Chatham Rise
__________________________________________________________
STATEMENT OF EVIDENCE OF SANDER STEENBRINK FOR
CHATHAM ROCK PHOSPHATE LIMITED
Dated: 28 August 2014
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Barristers & Solicitors
J G A Winchester / H P Harwood Telephone: +64-4-499 4599
Facsimile: +64-4-472 6986
Email: [email protected]
DX SX11174 P O Box 2402 Wellington
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CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 3
Qualifications and experience ........................................................................... 3
Code of conduct .................................................................................................. 5
Scope of Evidence............................................................................................... 5
BOSKALIS' BACKGROUND .................................................................................... 6
BOSKALIS' ENVIRONMENTAL TRACK RECORD ................................................. 8
Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi, UAE – Creating an offshore port (2007 –
2010) ............................................................................................................ 9
Port of Melbourne – Channel Deepening Project (2005 – 2009) ..................... 11
Safer Fairways to Port of Gothenburg (2003 – 2004) ...................................... 12
Nanhai, Daya Bay, China (2004) ......................................................................... 13
Gabon Fertilizer Plant, Port Gentil, Gabon (2013) ........................................... 15
Mejillones Port and Waterway Engineering, November 2002 to April
2003 ............................................................................................................. 17
BOSKALIS’ OPERATIONAL TRACK RECORD ...................................................... 18
White Rose and Terra Nova Project, 2001-2003 ............................................... 19
Laggan Project, 2012 - ongoing ......................................................................... 22
Fox River Clean-up, Green Bay (WI), USA, 2008-ongoing .............................. 23
BOSKALIS’ RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TRACK RECORD ...................... 24
Building with Nature ........................................................................................... 24
Seabed Landscaping .......................................................................................... 25
TASS ..................................................................................................................... 26
BOSKALIS' INVOLVEMENT IN CHATHAM ROCK PHOSPHATE
LIMITED'S PROJECT ...................................................................................... 27
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1. Boskalis is a leading global maritime services company with expertise in
dredging, complex infrastructural work and project execution for the
off-shore energy sector. Boskalis has been listed on the Amsterdam
exchange since 1971 and now operates in 75 countries with over 11,000
employees worldwide. Boskalis has extensive experience working for oil
companies, shipping companies, governments, international project
developers and mining companies.
2. Boskalis is focussed on providing innovative and sustainable solutions for
infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta areas. We
have played a leading role in several environmentally-driven research
programmes and continue to make significant investments in the
development of environmentally-friendly techniques and equipment.
Boskalis maintains several internationally recognised quality standards
and actively consults experts on technical matters to ensure environmental
concerns are identified and addressed. We have a strong environmental
track record demonstrated by the successful completion of many large
scale projects with strict environmental requirements.
3. Throughout the last 15 years, Boskalis has also completed a variety of
projects using similar technology to that proposed for the Chatham Rock
Phosphate Limited's (CRP) project. Our experience in those projects has
directly fed into the design for the Chatham Rise proposal.
4. Boskalis has made a significant investment in this project and plans to
establish a local office in New Zealand for employees to manage the
operation. We are committed to working with CRP on this project and will
continue to contribute to the design, operational planning and financial
modelling of the mining vessel and operations.
INTRODUCTION
Qualifications and experience 5. My full name is Alexander Cornelis Steenbrink.
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6. I have a MSc degree in Mechanical Engineering from Delft University of
Technology. I graduated in the department of Engineering Mechanics.
7. I have a PhD degree from Delft University of Technology in
Micromechanics of Materials. The subject of my dissertation was “On
deformation and fracture of amorphous polymer-rubber blends;
micromechanisms and micromechanics”.
8. I am a member of the Innovation Council of “Nederland Maritiem Land” (a
Dutch organisation for Maritime Leader Firms); chairman of the advisory
board to the Director of Education for Delft University of Technology,
faculty of Mechanical Engineering; a member of the International Marine
Minerals Society (IMMS) and of the Environmental Committee of the
Underwater Mining Institute (UMI); and a member of the Dutch Royal
Society of Engineers (KIVI).
9. I am manager of the Dredging Development Department and Survey
Department at Boskalis, and have held that position since 1 October 2007.
Prior to that, I worked for the Netherlands Organisation for Applied
Scientific Research (TNO) as a software engineer and team leader at the
Automotive Crash Safety Centre, and as a manager at the Centre for
Mechanical and Maritime Structures.
10. My principal role at Boskalis is to ensure the competitive strength of
Boskalis by identifying and developing opportunities for innovation and
technology development. I am responsible for and manage 5 teams:
(a) Research & Development;
(b) Maritime Dynamics;
(c) Dredging Software Development;
(d) Dredging Simulator Training; and
(e) Survey, including the profit and loss of the exploitation of survey
equipment.
11. I coordinate the activities of these teams with the interests of the
commercial and operational units. I report to the Boskalis Board of
Directors.
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12. I am involved in innovative studies and concept development of
equipment, working methods and calculation tools. I am responsible for
managing the patents within Boskalis. I am also involved in collecting
government subsidies for research and joint industry projects. I was
directly involved in the proposal for Building with Nature, a five year
innovation program with a total value of €27 million, initiated by Boskalis.
Code of Conduct 13. I confirm that I have read the Code of Conduct for expert witnesses
contained in the Environment Court of New Zealand Practice Note 2011
and that I have complied with it when preparing my evidence. Other than
when I state that I am relying on the advice of another person, this
evidence is entirely within my area of expertise. I have not omitted to
consider material facts known to me that might alter or detract from the
opinions that I express.
Role in marine consent application
14. After first meeting with Chatham Rock Phosphate at the conference of the
Underwater Mining Institute in Gelendzhik, Russia, in 2010, I proposed a
concept feasibility study to them. I was in charge of the multi-disciplinary
project team within Boskalis that carried out this feasibility study and
presented the results to CRP’s expert panel.
15. When Boskalis was selected by CRP as preferred contractor, another
project manager was appointed for further development of the project,
equipment concept and working method. I have, however, continued to be
involved in the background and supported the project in providing
resources and reporting to Boskalis' senior management.
Scope of Evidence
16. In this brief of evidence, I will discuss:
(a) Boskalis' background;
(b) Boskalis' environmental track record;
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(c) Boskalis’ operational track record;
(d) Boskalis’ research and development track record; and
(e) Boskalis' investment in Chatham Rock Phosphate Limited's
project.
BOSKALIS' BACKGROUND
17. Boskalis is a leading global dredging and marine expert.
18. Boskalis and its related companies provide innovative, sustainable and all-
round solutions for infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and
delta areas of the world. Under brands such as Boskalis, Dockwise, SMIT
and Smit Lamnalco we offer a wide range of maritime services comprising:
the construction and maintenance of ports and waterways, land
reclamation, coastal defence and riverbank protection;
the execution of projects and marine services for the offshore
energy sector including subsea, heavy marine transport, lift and
installation services;
towage and terminal services; and
marine salvage services and projects.
19. As a partner we are able to realise complex infrastructural works for our
clients within the chain of design, project management and execution, on
time and within budget, even at vulnerable or remote locations around the
world. We strive for sustainable design and realisation of our solutions.
20. Boskalis operates worldwide but concentrates on seven geographic
regions which have the highest growth expectations for the energy and
ports markets. This spread gives us both a solid foundation and the
flexibility to be able to secure a wide range of projects, as well as providing
good prospects for balanced and sustained growth. Our main clients are
oil, gas and power companies, port operators, governments, shipping
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companies, international project developers, insurance companies and
mining companies.
Figure 1: Identified dredging and offshore projects, regional hotspots (From: Annual
Report 2013)
Figure 2: Overview of Boskalis Activities
21. Boskalis has 11,000 employees, including our share in associated
companies. The safety of our own employees and those of our
subcontractors is paramount. Boskalis operates a progressive global
safety program which is held in high regard in the industry and by our
clients.
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22. We operate on behalf of our clients in over 75 countries across six
continents. Our versatile fleet consists of 1,000 vessels and equipment.
Our head office is based in the Dutch city of Papendrecht. Royal Boskalis
Westminster N.V. shares have been listed on Euronext Amsterdam since
1971 and are included in the AEX index.
BOSKALIS' ENVIRONMENTAL TRACK RECORD
23. Boskalis’ focus is on finding solutions that integrate the identification and
implementation of effective working methods with environmental
considerations. A significant investment is made in continuous research
and the development of environmentally-friendly techniques and
equipment. Environmental concern is also an integral part of Boskalis’
quality policy, thus Boskalis maintains a number of internationally-
recognized quality standards, such as International Standards
Organization (ISO) and International Safety Management (ISM)
certificates. Additionally, Boskalis is an active participant globally in
discussions with experts and decision-makers on technical aspects and
international environmental dredging and mining regulations, as well as
the options for beneficial reuse of dredged and mined material.
24. In recent years, Boskalis has successfully completed several large
projects with strict environmental requirements. In the following
paragraphs I describe a selection of projects which in my view
demonstrate Boskalis' approach and ability to complete significant projects
in an environmentally responsible manner.
25. I wish to emphasise that each project is different. Some projects allow for
different techniques, given the nature of the project and where it is located.
I do not regard them as direct parallels to CRP's project, which is a mining
project. Nevertheless, aspects of the projects I describe provide evidence
of our experience and capability to undertake complex marine activities, to
be innovative, and to be as environmentally sensitive as possible bearing
in mind the nature and objectives of the projects. These are working
principles that Boskalis can bring to the CRP project.
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Khalifa Port, Abu Dhabi, UAE – Creating an offshore port (2007 – 2010)
26. Within this project, a large green-field offshore port was developed near
the most extensive coral reef in the Arabian Gulf. The assignment
included dredging an entrance channel and a harbour basin, the
reclamation of a harbour island and land for wharfs, the construction of
breakwaters and a causeway to the island, as well as a bridge. In
addition, a jetty and quay walls were built for container handling and a new
aluminium smelter. A total of 44 million cubic metres of material was
dredged. It was completed close to the largest coral reef in the Arabian
Gulf.
27. A significant aspect of this project was Boskalis’ design and operation of a
turbidity monitoring campaign and adaptive management.
28. Boskalis deployed equipment that included a number of large cutter
suction dredgers and backhoes, as well as a medium-sized hopper
dredger. The contract was worth approximately €670 million. The project
was executed over the course of four and a half years, beginning October
2007.
29. The environmental standards during the project were extremely stringent,
due to the proximity of the coral reef mentioned above. The reef is
194km² is home to 17 species of coral, sponges, sea grass beds and
hundreds of fish species. The project area is also close to seawater
intakes for the ADEA desalination plant, which is the main producer of
drinking water for Abu Dhabi.
30. The protection of both these areas from excessive total suspended
sediments was vitally important in the execution of the dredging and
reclamation works. Therefore, numerous monitoring activities and
mitigating measures were carried out and implemented during the works,
including:
the installation of 15 monitoring stations around the project area,
transmitting 24-hour, real-time measurements of turbidity, waves,
currents, water levels, and weather conditions;
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operating a dedicated monitoring vessel 24 hours a day to make
continuous in-situ measurements;
taking daily water samples as an additional measurement of
suspended sediment concentrations and turbidity;
regular dive inspections of the coral reef;
continuous bathymetric surveying to monitor changes in the level
of the sea bed; and
numerical modelling by Deltares (formerly Delft Hydraulics) to
predict the turbidity and total suspended sediment concentrations
around the working areas as a preliminary assessment as well as
in forecast mode. This information was used to schedule and
execute the works in a way that minimised the potential for
sediment- and turbidity-related environmental impacts.
31. Due to the higher than expected silt content in the material for the
reclamation, the originally designed working method, with a sophisticated
spreader pontoon, did not give the desired results. The working method
was revised, removing silt with water injection vessels WID Roomklopper
and WID BKM 100, as well as the shallow draft TSHD Alpha B, with the
result that the required quality and performance criteria of the fill were
achieved.
32. In 2010, the client, Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), received The
Environment Protection Award for the design and construction of Khalifa
Port for the protection of the coral reef. Additionally, Boskalis Westminster
Middle East Ltd. received a safety recognition award from ADPC for 365
days without a lost time injury / illness (LTI) and the Consortium reached
12,000,000 work hours without LTI on May 2, 2010.
33. The level of monitoring was possible because the project was conducted
in shallow waters and was close to land. A similar monitoring programme
would be impossible on the Chatham Rise.
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Port of Melbourne – Channel Deepening Project (2005 – 2009)
34. Boskalis deepened the navigation channel to the Port of Melbourne, a
project that was vital to Australia’s world trade links. For the execution of
the dredging and disposal operations for this project, the Environment
Effects Study stipulated an extensive environmental monitoring program to
verify compliance with set standards and to provide feedback on the
appropriateness of these standards.
35. Port of Melbourne Corporation on one hand assigned these tasks to
specialist consultants, and on the other hand cooperated intensively with
their Alliance partner, Boskalis, in the execution of the works and the
monitoring program. Boskalis provided the Alliance project team with a
number of specialists, with both thorough understanding of the needs for
environmental protection and monitoring schemes, and with a broad
experience on how to perform such programs. This combination of
practical experience with scientific understanding proved to be essential in
setting up, running and managing the monitoring program during the 2005
(trial) dredging works.
36. The monitoring program was undertaken using ten vessels and included:
turbidity monitoring at fixed bottom locations and with telemetry
buoys;
full depth plume monitoring from moving vessels;
water quality sampling;
airborne sound, underwater sound, underwater visibility and light
measurements;
underwater flora, fauna and substratum surveys; and
weather and sea state characteristics.
37. Data was stored in a specially-designed and dedicated database for easy
retrieval and quick reporting to support the EMP compliance checks. In
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conjunction with the turbidity monitoring program, modelling was
undertaken for forecasting reasons. The close and direct cooperation
between the client and Boskalis proved to be highly efficient in achieving
the environmental goals while at the same time attaining all technical and
economic performance requirements.
38. Experiences gained in the trial dredging works and over two years of
additional investigation into the natural assets of the bay resulted in an
environmental dredging plan which was the most rigorous in the world to-
date. Together with extensive environmental monitoring, the deepening
was achieved without any significant adverse impact on the marine and
coastal environment.
39. In December 2007, the Australian Federal Minister for the Environment
granted final approval for this project. The work took about two years to
complete and the contract value was approximately €300 million. The
project involved dredging sand, clay, contaminated silt and rock. The work
was executed using two hoppers (the Queen of the Netherlands and the
Cornelis Zanen) backhoes and cranes. After completion of the project, the
Port of Melbourne became accessible for container vessels with a draft of
up to 14m.
Safer Fairways to Port of Gothenburg (2003 – 2004)
40. This example illustrates Boskalis’ experience and capability in the early
development of modern-day, stringent environmental monitoring
campaigns. The operational plan and environmental monitoring campaign
also helped to redefine state-of-the-art at the time; the operational plan
had an ecological-based marine operations timetable and the
environmental monitoring campaign had to measure a plethora of
physical, ecological and water quality parameters including turbidity,
sedimentation, light availability and sound.
41. The “Safer Fairways to Port Gothenburg” project in Sweden focused on
the deepening of the entrance channels to the port of Gothenburg. 12
million m3 of clay was dredged using two trailer suction hopper dredges
(TSHDs), the Seaway (hopper capacity 13,255 m3) and the Coastway
(hopper capacity 4,906 m3).
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42. The dredged material consisted of clay and rock. Since the dredging
areas were surrounded by environmentally sensitive habitats, such as
eelgrass, mussels and soft-bottom fauna, an extensive monitoring
program was executed. Parameters monitored consisted amongst others
of suspended solid concentrations, current velocities and directions,
vibrations and noise.
43. The Environmental Monitoring Plan and Dredging Plan were designed to
comply with a stringent environmental specification, to be followed
throughout the extensive blasting and dredging works. These conditions
required strict control of total suspended solids (TSS) in the water. In
addition, there were restrictions on the range of dredging (and dredging
hours), especially during the summer season. The objective was to
protect sensitive habitats, in particular eelgrass, mussels and soft-bottom
fauna. Limits on TSS were set at 1000m distance from the works requiring
24 hours a day, 7 days a week monitoring. Limits on water transparency,
noise and vibrations were also to be met.
44. Environmental monitoring results were evaluated against targets and
used, if necessary, to adjust programming of dredging and blasting works
to fit within the environmental limits. Due to this, the dredging activities
were able to be performed with the lowest impact to the environment. The
client had 24 hour access to all monitoring data, which was stored in a
multi-purpose database. This environmental database provided the client
with a daily update of the most relevant monitoring parameters and
dredging information, making it possible for the client to be able to quickly
and accurately address questions or concerns, but also to anticipate many
of the questions they were asked.
45. After the project was finished, the client (Port of Gothenborg Authority)
awarded Boskalis with a Certificate of Excellence for the environmental
monitoring campaign.
Nanhai, Daya Bay, China (2004)
46. This example again illustrates Boskalis’ experience and capability in the
early development of design and execution of an environmental monitoring
campaign. The unique aspect of this project was the nature of one of the
conditions imposed upon Boskalis while operating. This project also
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illustrates the proactive and effectiveness of utilizing adaptive
management strategies in combination with clear environmental limits and
required actions if those limits are exceeded.
47. Boskalis was awarded the dredging scope of works for navigation
channels and a turning basin linked to a new petrochemical plant in Daya
Bay, which is located in the Guandong Province in the southwest of the
People’s Republic of China. The main environmental concerns during this
project related to the coral reefs present around the bay and close to the
dredging areas, as well as the sea turtles and other large marine
mammals populations living in the bay.
48. Daya Bay comprises an area of about 600 km
2 with a winding coastline of
92km in length. The bay has a rich benthic and pelagic environment with
several sensitive areas including biotopes with coral formations,
seaweeds, oyster beds, aquaculture sites and fishing areas.
49. To satisfy the requirement of preserving these sensitive areas, dredging
and navigation was performed with minimum damage, interference or
disturbance to the environment. The main mitigation measure taken to
achieve this requirement was to not allow overflowing of hopper dredgers
and the transport barges. Additionally, strict limits and monitoring
requirements were set to control the water quality at coral and aquaculture
sites. Boskalis’ environmental specialists designed the required
monitoring plan in consultation with the client, and carried out the
execution of the monitoring program and reporting.
50. TSS levels were measured around the dredger using a dedicated
monitoring vessel and equipment similar to those used for the Gothenburg
project even though one of the objectives of the dredging plan was to not
exceed threshold levels at pre-defined distances from the dredging
activities. In addition to TSS levels, sedimentation was monitored to make
sure the coral habitats were not at risk of burial. The health of the coral
communities was also monitored by divers who took video images of the
coral to compare with video footage taken before the dredging activities
started.
51. It was agreed that any exceedence of the environmental limits was to be
reported to the client immediately. In a situation in which ongoing
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exceedences were observed, it was also agreed that a detailed study of
the monitored data would be carried out and the source(s) of the
increased TSS in the water identified, enabling appropriate action(s) by
means of applying additional mitigating measures that were to be taken.
52. Over the course of the project, no exceedence of environmental limits was
observed. This project is an excellent demonstration of the environmental
success that can be achieved in a dredging project when proper planning
of dredging operations, which takes account of all sensitive environments
which could be potentially impacted, is carried out in combination with
adequate and accurate monitoring. Upon completion of the project, the
client awarded Boskalis with a Letter of Appreciation for the environmental
monitoring campaign.
Gabon Fertilizer Plant, Port Gentil, Gabon (2013)
53. This example illustrates Boskalis’ experience and capability in the
operational design, modelling and monitoring of underwater sound effects,
mammal observations and taking mitigation measures.
54. In 2013, Boskalis worked on the construction of a new industrial area in
Gabon. Protecting the marine environment was a major challenge on this
project and of keen interest to Boskalis. An important consideration was
to mitigate sound disturbance and other factors potentially affecting marine
mammals. Port Gentil is Gabon's second port city and is located in
Cap Lopez Bay, which is home to large numbers of humpback whales in
the winter.
55. In Port Gentil, the government has designated an area of 1,500 hectares
as an industrial free-trade area. The first activity is the development of the
Gabon Fertilizer Company (GFC), for which 80 hectares of land is being
reclaimed.
56. As the main financier for GFC, the International Finance Corporation (IFC),
part of the World Bank, sets tough environmental requirements. One of
the requirements focused on limited noise nuisance by the dredging
equipment. Another requirement focused on preserving the original shape
of the bay because the whales use the underwater slopes of the bay to
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protect and feed their young, and because this bay also serves as a
regional humpback whale birthing location.
57. During the preparation phase, a creative solution was devised that would
keep the sound level to a minimum and, at the same time, barely affect the
shape of the bay. The solution involved dredging reclamation sediment
via an underwater lagoon, as opposed to dredging along the bay coastline.
As a result, the slopes of the bay remained virtually unaffected, with the
impact limited to the created entrance to the sediment-extraction lagoon.
The remaining sediment barrier between the extraction lagoon and the bay
acted to dampen the sound penetration of the dredging activities into the
bay, as well as confined the turbidity generation to the extraction lagoon.
Figure 3: Underwater lagoon for underwater sound mitigation at Port Gentil, Gabon
58. The environmental engineers took various initiatives to determine whether
the approach would reduce underwater noise levels adequately. Sound
measurements were taken at various times and at various locations in the
bay which were used in turn to validate the predictive sound modelling
carried out during the dredge plan development. Beyond the model
validation component, it was determined that the natural sediment barrier
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was even more effective at muffling the dredging-related sounds than
expected.
59. Alongside these measurements, a team of professional and project-trained
Marine Mammal Observers were active throughout the course of the
dredging activities. The employees of the dredging fleet and the support
vessels also followed the ‘Marine Mammal Observer’ training course,
which taught them how to spot and avoid whales and other marine
animals, such as dolphins and turtles. Through observations by the
dedicated Marine Mammal Observers, the sound of the dredging activities
was found to have no visible impact on the sea mammals’ behaviour.
60. The project in Gabon won the British Expertise Awards 2013/14 –
Outstanding International Environmental Project.
Mejillones Port and Waterway Engineering, November 2002 to April 2003
61. This example illustrates Boskalis’ experience and capability in the design
and execution of an environmental monitoring campaign with a main focus
on meeting a clear physical limit on turbidity plume dimensions and
concentration.
62. In Mejillones, Chile, a new Mega Port project has been developed for the
shipping of copper. Boskalis International BV worked as a subcontractor
of the Chilean civil contractor Empresa Constructora BELFI SA during the
construction of the first phase of the Mega Port project. The dredging
works for the three terminals and turning basin involved the removal of a
top layer of 250,000 m3 of fine-to-coarse sands by the trailer suction
hopper dredger Resolution and 750,000 m3 of diatomic silts by the cutter
suction dredger Amstel.
63. Because the Bay of Mejillones is an environmentally sensitive area,
Boskalis developed and carried out an extensive environmental monitoring
program. Monitored parameters included suspended solids concentration,
turbidity, current speed and direction, chlorophyll-a, conductivity,
temperature and transparency.
64. The environmental monitoring plan and dredging plan were designed to
comply with environmental restrictions. The most important restrictions
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were on the size of the suspended sediment plumes generated at the
dredging and disposal sites. The plumes were defined as those areas
within which the suspended solids concentration was higher than 400
mg/l. These areas were not allowed to be larger than 150ha at the
dredging site, and 200ha at the disposal site. Also, the suspended solids
concentration was to remain below 400 mg/l at all times in specified
protection zones along the coast of the Bay of Mejillones.
65. In order to minimise the release of suspended solids, the dredged material
had to be collected into a barge or similar vessel, which would release
overflowed material below the water surface. The dredged material had to
be disposed of in a defined disposal area, which was located 2km away
from the dredging site, in a deeper part of the bay.
66. The size of the plumes in the dredging and disposal areas were to be
determined by taking samples at eight or more locations in a grid
formation, in the area of the plume, during dredging and disposal activities.
These measurements were done once a day.
67. In addition, 11 fixed stations around the bay were to be monitored at
specified intervals to check that suspended solids levels remained well
below critical thresholds for the sensitive receptors in the area and there
were no adverse impacts on the environment at the boundaries of the
protected areas. The daily monitoring program during dredging phases
one and two consisted of five to seven fixed stations, eight or more
sampling locations in the dredging area and eight or more sampling
locations in the disposal area.
68. During the entire period of dredging, suspended solids concentrations
stayed well below the limits set in the environmental specifications in all
areas. Therefore, the programming of dredging activities required no
adjustment. Conductivity, temperature, salinity, density and chlorophyll-a
all showed fluctuation within the natural variability of the system for the
entire duration of the project.
BOSKALIS’ OPERATIONAL TRACK RECORD
For the last 15 year years, Boskalis has successfully carried out a variety
of projects requiring deep sea operations and complex sediment
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processing. In the following paragraphs, I briefly describe a selection of
projects that involved similar technology to that proposed for CRP's
proposal.
White Rose and Terra Nova Project, 2001-2003
69. These examples illustrate Boskalis’ experience and capability in the
design, construction and operation of an innovative grab excavation
system, suspended by wires, to work at a waterdepth of 120m and
accurately positioned by ROV thrusters. Another illustration is given of the
use of an elongated suction pipe on a trailing suction hopper dredger. Both
techniques form important elements in the concept for trailing a draghead
and suction system in deeper water such as the Chatham Rise.
70. The White Rose offshore oil field is the third major oil field in the Jeanne
d’Arc Basin on the Grand Banks, some 350 kilometres east of St. John’s,
Newfoundland, Canada and within 50 kilometres from the Terra Nova and
Hibernia fields. The South White Rose oil pool covers approximately 40
square kilometres and contains an estimated 200-250 million barrels of
recoverable oil.
71. The area is subject to frequent iceberg migration, which forms a serious
hazard for offshore installations and has to be taken into account in the
design of offshore oil and gas facilities. To protect the subsea wellheads
and manifolds from iceberg scouring they are lowered into the seabed in
so-called glory holes (presently referred to as excavated drill centres).
72. There was no equipment readily available for the excavation of the White
Rose glory holes in 120 metres of water depth. Soil investigation showed
that very stiff clay, cobbles and boulders with sizes up to 1 metre, and
hard pan layers were present. To face this water depth and these soil
conditions, Boskalis proposed to excavate the holes with a large grab
deployed from the DP Class 2 Fallpipe Vessel, the Seahorse. This vessel
is normally used for rock dumping, generally for the protection and
stabilisation of offshore pipelines and ballasting of platforms.
73. For this specific project, a Grab Excavation System had been designed.
By using two wire-lifting points – one forward and one aft - the excavation
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system is able to transport the excavated material underwater just above
the seabed from the excavation point to the dumping location nearby the
glory hole, while the vessel keeps its position using its Dynamic
Positioning system. During the various phases of the excavation cycle, the
grab was heave-compensated. For maintaining precise position and
orientation of the clamshells, a ROV with four powerful thrusters was
mounted on top of it. For final levelling of the bottom of the glory holes,
with tolerances as narrow as +/-5 cm, a rock bedding layer was installed.
74. Boskalis introduced a new way of soil excavation, indeed after an
innovative engineering effort. The system proved its ability to construct
glory holes very accurately and to cope with challenging soil and
environmental conditions. The flexibility of the system ensures that similar
seabed rectification works can be undertaken in a range of soil
characteristics and in water depths up to 1,000 metres.
Figure 4: ROV controlled grab used in White Rose project for dredging excavated
drill centres at a waterdepth of 120m
75. The Terra Nova field is located 350km ESE of St John's Newfoundland
and 35km SE of Hibernia. The subsea layout consists of a production well
feeding into a template, which, in turn, will be connected by flexible
flowlines to a riser-base manifold (RBM). In order to protect the subsea
wells from iceberg scour, they will be set in glory holes.
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Figure 5: Queen of the Netherlands (at original length over all of 173m) with
elongated suction pipe for dredging excavated drill centres at a waterdepth of 110m
at the Terra Nova project.
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Laggan Project, 2012 - ongoing
76. This example illustrates Boskalis’ experience and capability in the deep
water rock installation and fall pipe operations. This technology has been
translated to the concept design for the CRP riser and the sinker pipe
systems.
77. The Laggan and Tormore gas fields are located in approximately 600
metres water depth in Blocks 206/1a (P911) and 205/5a (P1159)
respectively, and are situated some 125km North West of the Shetland
Islands on the UK Continental Shelf.
78. The Dynamically Positioned Fallpipe Vessel (FPV) “Rockpiper” was
dedicated to place rock material in a controlled and accurate manner to
protect subsea installations. For this purpose, the vessel is equipped with
a fallpipe system that can be deployed through a moon pool in the centre
part of the vessel. A Fallpipe Remotely Operated Vehicle (FPROV) is
located at the lower end of the fallpipe. The fallpipe system consists of
Glass-fibre Reinforced Polyester (GRP) sections, allowing the length of the
pipe to be adapted to the water depth. The average depth of the berms
was more than 600 meters.
79. The fallpipe sections are stored in the Rock Dumping Unit (RDU), which is
located in the centre part of the vessel and which also contains a transport
system for the pipe sections and auxiliary equipment for the pipe
assembly/disassembly. Furthermore the RDU contains hydraulic engines
and winches for the suspension of the fallpipe and FPROV. The fallpipe
system onboard of Rockpiper and other FPV’s operated by Boskalis has
been the basis for the design of the riser and sinker system for the
Chatham Project.
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Figure 6: Dynamically Positioned Fallpipe Vessel Rockpiper
Fox River Clean-up, Green Bay (WI), USA, 2008-ongoing
80. This example illustrates Boskalis’ experience and capability in the design,
construction and operation of a project specific separation plant.
81. As a result of industrialization, the riverbed of the Fox River (Wisconsin,
USA) had become contaminated with PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
Joining together, a number of large paper mills based on the banks of the
river have established the Fox River Cleanup Group to handle the
remediation project. The site is on the federal Superfund program’s
National Priorities List.
82. Stuyvesant’s affiliated company, Boskalis Dolman, designed and
constructed the processing plant within an expedited one year period. The
project is following the proven integrated approach that incorporates the
different project components, such as dredging, processing, dewatering,
beneficial use, transport and disposal.
83. The project started in 2008 and is expected to last 8 years. It is expected
that a total of 4 million cubic yards (CY) of PCB contaminated sediments
will be dredged from the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin. Three hydraulic
dredges are pumping the dredged sediments directly to the processing
plant. The plant is designed to process hydraulically dredged sediments
with a production rate of 250 in-situ CY per hour or 6,500 gpm. Treatment
includes oversized debris screening (+ 6 mm), two sizes of sand
separation and polishing, followed by mechanical dewatering of the fine
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contaminated fraction using large Membrane Plate and Frame Presses. A
total of 8 of these presses are operated on this project. The aim of the
project is to minimize contaminated volume by sand separation for
beneficial use and mechanical dewatering of the contaminated fine
fraction.
84. The remediation work got off to a successful start in April 2009 and the
project is expected to reach completion as scheduled in 2016.
85. Key figures for the plant:
200 m³ per hour in situ capacity
8 membrane filter presses with a capacity of 18 m³ each
9,000 m² for sand separation and mechanical dewatering
3,250 m² for rubble and sand storage
7,800 m² for sludge cake storage
1,000 m³ storage tank capacity (two units)
BOSKALIS’ RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT TRACK RECORD
86. In addition to these applied project examples above, in recent years
Boskalis has also actively participated in, if not lead, a number of
innovative, environmentally-driven research endeavours, of which, some
examples are described below.
Building with Nature
87. In the development of new infrastructure and resource extraction projects,
conflicting interests and differences in the interpretation of environmental
legislation and regulations mean that interested parties are often pitched
against one another in arduous legal proceedings, with insufficient
knowledge about ecological preconditions playing a crucial role. Boskalis
sees eco-dynamic design as a possible solution. Boskalis is one of the
initiators and financiers of Ecoshape, the foundation that executes the
Building with Nature innovation program.
88. Building with Nature aims to utilise natural processes and provide
opportunities for nature while realising hydraulic infrastructure and marine
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works. Design guidelines on how to make this happen in practice are the
main end product of the Building with Nature innovation programme. The
work is carried out by the EcoShape consortium, which consists of private
parties, government organisations and research institutes. As part of this
program, Boskalis aims to set new, internationally-accepted design
standards. In this way, Boskalis contributes towards the sustainable
management and development of densely populated river, delta and
coastal regions around the world.
89. In the Netherlands, the program has already produced various noteworthy
results. Over the past four years, the Building with Nature concept has
been developed and implemented, and has demonstrated that it works.
Subsequently, the Building with Nature approach has been strategically
chosen as the Boskalis framework when approaching projects in naturally
rich environments and/or with challenging environmental regulations.
Seabed Landscaping
90. Traditionally, dredging operators would extract sand, leaving the floor of
the pit relatively flat. However, a flat seascape does not encourage
biodiversity. Natural bedforms feature gradual changes in terms of water
depth, grain size, mud content and surrounding currents, thus providing a
variety of habitats for diverse marine species. It was therefore decided to
test the hypothesis that local seabed landscaping would help to speed up
the process of recolonisation, and promote higher biodiversity and
productivity.
91. The experiment involved selective dredging, leaving behind two sand
ridges in the designated borrow area for Maasvlakte 2. These artificial
bedforms are about 700 m long and 100 metres wide with crests
10 metres high, similar to natural sand waves. The first ridge was created
in 2010 in the eastern part of the borrow area, and the second in 2011 in
the southern part.
92. The recolonization of the Maasvlakte 2 borrow area has been monitored
since 2010. A marine ecologist, Martin Baptist from the Institute for Marine
Resources and Ecosystem Studies (IMARES) and leader of Building with
Nature’s monitoring sub-programme found that inside the pit were four to
five times more fish, and more species, than outside it
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TASS
93. Boskalis has coordinated a multi-year research project investigating and
predicting the development of dredging-induced sediment plumes. The
work was initiated by the Stichting Speurwerk Baggertechniek (SSB), a
strategic research platform of the Dutch dredging industry, in 1998. Since
2010, the project has been part of the Ecoshape | Building with Nature
innovation programme. The project was set-up with a threefold objective:
(a) to gain insight in dredging-induced turbidity to minimise
environmental impacts and to facilitate realisation of projects;
(b) to develop and validate a model to predict turbidity caused by
dredging; and
(c) to share proven knowledge with third parties.
94. The project has resulted in a new modelling tool, the Turbidity Assessment
Software (TASS). This software enables prediction of the far-field impact
of dredging operations. This demands thorough understanding of
sediment suspension and resuspension processes in the direct
neighbourhood of the vessel, as well as successive plume dispersion via
the ambient current. The project focuses on turbidity caused by Trailing
Suction Hopper Dredgers (TSHDs) rather than any other type of dredging
equipment. The long project running time and substantial investments
reflect the complex and innovative character of the project.
95. The aim from the start of the TASS project was to make this software
available to the dredging industry as well as third party users. The
research on dredging-induced turbidity is currently embedded in the
Ecoshape | Building with Nature innovation program, which aims at
creating sustainable solutions for marine and inland water constructions.
Present efforts focus on further development and validation of the model
for a variety of environmental conditions, including the tropics. Once
thoroughly tested, the model will be made publicly available to facilitate
sound predictions of dredging-induced turbidity by contractors,
consultants, researchers and public authorities worldwide.
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BOSKALIS' INVOLVEMENT IN CHATHAM ROCK PHOSPHATE LIMITED'S
PROJECT
96. Boskalis is committed to continue its relationship with CRP. We have
made, and will continue to make, an important contribution to the
designing, operational planning and financial modelling of the mining
vessel and operations.
97. Boskalis believes that CRP's project is an excellent project and has
invested significant resources into it, and is also a shareholder in CRP.
Boskalis is acting as a technology partner to Chatham Rock Phosphate
Limited in helping to build the vessel, which involves an investment that is
estimated between 400 and 600 million euros.
98. Boskalis envisages creating roughly 100 full time positions for the vessel
operation and maintenance, of which 50% would be positions filled by
New Zealand nationals. Boskalis will open a local office for some of these
employees to manage the operation.
99. Our commitment to this project is therefore significant, and will involve
considerate further investment to the benefit of New Zealand.
Sander Steenbrink
28 August 2014