“Securing 17m Depth”… BPA Advances Full Maintenance Dredging at New Port Pier 4

Busan Port Authority (BPA) will advance part of the third phase of maintenance dredging, originally scheduled for 2024, to secure the safety of vessels navigating within Busan New Port and improve conditions for the entry of large ships.

BPA identified sections of the quayside at Busan New Port where the full berth depth had become shallower due to sedimentation and urgently carried out the first phase of maintenance dredging in December last year.

The first phase involved a dredging operation with a budget of 2.1 billion KRW to remove approximately 64,000 cubic meters of sediment from Berths 2 and 3 at New Port Pier 1 and Berths 3 and 4 at New Port Pier 4.

A dredger conducting dredging operations at sea.

BPA conducted a study to determine the causes of the faster-than-expected sedimentation rate and to develop countermeasures. Since April, they have been carrying out the second phase of maintenance dredging with an investment of about 3.4 billion KRW to remove 101,334 cubic meters of sediment. The dredging targets the entire berths of Piers 1 and 4 within the New Port, where sedimentation mainly occurred.

The third phase of maintenance dredging, which is being advanced, covers the full berth area of Berths 3 and 4 at New Port Pier 4.

BPA plans to proceed with dredging operations step-by-step to reach the target depth without delay, removing 86,246 cubic meters of sediment within this year during the third phase to secure the final planned depth of 17 meters.

Busan Port Authority stated that the early implementation of this maintenance dredging will improve vessel berthing and mooring conditions, prevent safety accidents, and contribute to revitalizing port operations.

Lee Sang-kwon, Head of Construction at BPA, said, “We plan to continue timely maintenance dredging to ensure that vessels can use Busan Port safely and conveniently.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.