Las Mareas Harbor / Entrance Channel Dredging

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SUMMARY

On behalf of AES Puerto Rico, LP, developed starting in 1993, CASHMAN DREDGING was selected to perform maintenance dredging in the Entrance Channel and the Harbor area of the Port of Las Mareas, located by the Caribbean Sea. The goal was to return the channel to its authorized depth and thereby support AES in its efforts to minimize coal transport costs. AES utilizes mineral coal as fuel to provide electricity at the lowest cost possible, and it is committed to saving the environment utilizing cutting-edge technology. Minimizing the dependence on oil, AES therefore builds the economy and saves the environment. 

The Port of Las Mareas is over 500 feet in length, and the size of the harbor is very small. The anchorage depth and the cargo pier depth ranges from 11m - 12.2 m, and the oil terminal depth ranges from 12.5 m - 13.7 m. 

PROJECT HIGHLIGHTS

• Maintenance dredging was performed using a clamshell dredge in the Entrance Channel, Turning Basin, and the AES dock perimeter to return these areas to the design depth of 38 feet (+2 feet of allowable over-dredging).
• Dredged sediment was pumped into the existing dredge material accumulation lagoons located toward the east side of the Las Mareas Port.
• Supernatant water and water drained from dredged sediment were returned to the harbor via existing drainage infrastructure.
• Approximately 112,000 cubic yards of sediment were removed from the Las Mareas Harbor and Entrance Channel.