Guayaquil kicks off US$100mn dredging PPP

Belgium firm Jan de Nul started dredging works at the access canals at the port of Ecuadoran city Guayaquil.

Works are carried under a US$100mn PPP contract, fully financed by the company, South America head Jan Van den Driessche told local daily El Universo.

Awarded in October and signed in early December, the contract involves dredging 95km, divided between the two main access channels of the city. One leads to Guayaquil's main port zone and the other is a section of the Guayas river which separates the city from Isla Puna.

The contract also involves a 25-year concession. Jan de Nul will operate and maintain navigation conditions in both areas and charge tolls to recover its investment, according to the company's website.

Van der Driessche told El Universo that due to the port development of Guayaquil and its surrounding areas, which include the Posorja deepwater port, Jan de Nul "must have a presence" in the zone.

"In terms of investments we feel that a new air has entered the country. We are seeing mega-investments at Guayaquil, Posorja, Manta and Puerto Bolivar," he said.