Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, a U.S.-based dredging services giant, on Wednesday announced the appointment of industry veteran Eleni Beyko as senior vice president offshore wind – a strategic growth area for the company. 

Taiwan expelled nearly 4,000 Chinese vessels illegally dredging sand from its waters in 2020, authorities said Monday, a more than six-fold increase on the year before as Beijing seeks to heap pressure on the democratic island.

The Maine Department of Transportation released the 2021 Edition of its three-year Work Plan on January 25, 2021. This Work Plan includes all capital projects and programs, maintenance and operations activities, planning initiatives, and administrative functions for calendar years 2021, 2022, and 2023.

Cashman Dredging and Marine Contracting Co., Quincy, Mass., announced the execution of a design contract with IHC America Inc. for a new 6,500 cubic yard trailing suction hopper dredge. The new vessel will complement Cashman Dredging’s current fleet of specialized dredging equipment and will primarily service the coastal protection and navigation maintenance markets when it enters service in 2024. (No other specifications, equipment or equipment manufacturers were announced.)

Despite sluggish returns in 2020 due to unprecedented COVID-19 outbreak, the global dredging market is expected to report 3.3% YOY growth in 2021, a significant improvement over 3.5% y-o-y exhibited in 2020, finds Fact MR in a new study. The overall growth outlook remains positive, especially as applications in trade activity, maintenance, and urban development among others continue to rise. The market will vastly gain with demand in government sector rising. Fact MR in a new study has forecast government to account for over 43% of overall share through 2031.

The technology group Wärtsilä has signed a 5-year long-term service agreement with Nanjing Changjiang Waterway Engineering, a leading Chinese dredging company. The agreement, signed in December 2020, covers the ‘Chang Jing 9’, a 13,800 cubic metre trailing suction dredger and the latest addition to the company’s fleet.

The U.S. dredging fleet is growing. Presently on order and under construction is a raft of in-demand equipment that will help to keep America’s ports and waterways open, safeguard coastal communities and maintain the vital flow of maritime commerce to, from and through the U.S.

Klaipeda State Seaport Authority says it has signed the contract for the dredging works of the shipping canal up to 15 meters. The European Union assigned 17.3 million euros to implement the project. The works will be performed by the Danish company Rohde Nielsen A/S. It is not the first big project implemented by the Danes in Klaipeda Port – Rohde Nielsen A/S was deepening and improving the call canal in 2011-2013. It is the world-known dredging company that has implemented large products in Denmark, Brazil and Australia in the recent years.

Orleans County will be part of future dredging projects to build resiliency of communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River, according to an announceent from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.