First Vessel Trials New Berth at Aberdeen

The first phase of a multi-million pound redevelopment project of Aberdeen Harbor’s Torry Quay has been completed.
 
A project milestone, it was marked by the vessel Skandi Foula, which docked at the quay before loading cargo destined for a North Sea installation.
 
The vessel is the first to have used the new facilities, which include 300 meters of realigned, deep water berths, a stronger quayside for heavier lifts, and a wider channel in the River Dee, designed to facilitate improved vessel navigation. These features are the result of an initial £19million investment by the Aberdeen Harbor Board.
 
“There is a growing trend for increasingly large, deep-drafted vessels.” Said Ken Reilly, engineering director of Aberdeen Harbor. “The completion of this first phase, an important stage in one of the harbor’s largest civil engineering undertakings in recent years, is a cornerstone of our ongoing development. With the wharf now fully operational, it will help to ensure that we continue to meet the needs of existing and new users. “The port plays a vital role in terms of infrastructure, both regionally and nationally. Continued investment is the key to ensuring that we are in the best possible position to sustain the provision of the modern facilities our customers both expect and deserve. This will enable us to bring further opportunities to the Northeast, now and in the future.”
 
Development work on phase two has now commenced with an estimated £15million to be spent on this part of the project.
 
Expected to take about 12 months to complete, the work comprises the construction of a 100 meter long, deep-drafted quay, consisting of steel piles and reinforced concrete. The River Dee dock will then be filled with rock and other excavated material, before being surfaced with concrete. This will create an additional 20,000 square meters of operational space.