Boskalis to protect eroded Togo and Benin coastline and construct innovative sand engine concept for beach replenishment
Boskalis has been awarded the contract for the protection and replenishment of more than 40 kilometers of coastline stretching from the eastern coastline of Togo to the western coastline of Benin in West Africa, according to the company's release. The coastal protection project is part of the West African Coastal Areas Management (WACA) program.
The award was made by the governments of Togo and Benin with the financing made available by the World Bank. The contract carries a value of approximately EUR 55 million.
The current coastline has suffered from significant erosion, resulting in coastal retreat that serves as a threat to vital infrastructure and the livelihoods of the local population. Under the project, fifteen new groins will be constructed and six existing groins will be refurbished. A beach replenishment program will also take place using more than one million cubic meters of sand. Furthermore, on the Benin side of the border, a 6.4 million cubic meter sand engine will be constructed.
The sand engine concept was co-developed by Boskalis and has been successfully applied in the Netherlands over the past decade. A large volume of sand will be deposited at a strategic location and, over time, the natural motion of wind, waves and currents will spread it eastwards along the coastline. This principle of building with nature will reinforce the coastline in a robust and natural way. The project will start immediately and is expected to be completed late 2023.
The WACA program was developed in partnership with West African communities who live on the coast and depend on it for their livelihoods, nutrition, food security, and prosperity. The program supports several countries’ efforts to improve the management of their shared coastal resources and reduce the natural and man-made risks affecting coastal areas.
Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world. In addition, Boskalis is a global marine salvage expert and has a number of strategic partnerships in harbor towage and terminal services (Keppel Smit Towage and Smit Lamnalco). With a versatile fleet of over 600 vessels and floating equipment and more than 10,000 employees, including associates, Boskalis is creating new horizons around the world.
