IN-DEPTH MATTERS

One of the most pressing challenges for the Guayaquil Seaport Authority (GSA) in maintaining the standard of facilities on offer is to counter the accumulation of sediment in the Canal del Morro, the 50-nautical-mile stretch of the Guayas river that connects the port to the Pacific Ocean. The last dredging operation of the fluvial basin was completed in 1990 and since then an estimated 3.4 million cubic meters of sediment had been allowed to build up, causing flooding in low-lying areas and also threatening to limit the draught of vessels able to enter the port.

A US$18 million program to remove these deposits is being carried out by Dutch contractor Van Oord Acz Marine and Dredging, and is scheduled for termination in May 2004, by which time 300 days of constant activity should have paid dividends. The operation, which involves moving more than 10,000 cubic meters of sediment per hourly cycle from the most affected reaches of the river, aims to guarantee a minimum depth of 9.7 meters is available even at low tide.

This ambitious initiative will not only contribute to making the access channel safer and simpler to navigate for existing users, but will also permit the passage of vessels with up to 11.5-meter draughts at high water. The potential for construction of new docks to service these larger vessels is something the GSA hopes will help attract private-sector investors to the port in the future.