Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. moves closer to construction of artificial island for terminal

Nov 30, 2022 News

… as largest dredge to operate in Demerara River arrives

Kaieteur News – Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. (VESHI) is gearing for the reclamation phase of its massive US$300M project which is set to directly support the operations of ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) in its offshore Stabroek Block project.

A statement from the Guyanese lead joint-venture said that the largest Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger has arrived in Guyana as the Vreed-en-Hoop shore base prepares for the upcoming process. The M.V Galileo Galilei, owned and operated by the Jan De Nul Group, NRG Holdings’ joint venture partner, docked in Port Georgetown and has been deployed to the project site, the statement said.

“The vessel’s arrival marks the beginning of the sand key reclamation phase of the project. During this phase, the dredger will clear the existing area and begin the process of adding reclaimed material for the creation of an artificial island on which the construction of the new terminal will be situated.” This project in its first phase is expected to add more than 44 acres to Guyana’s coastline, the agency declared.

The M.V Galileo Galilei in the Demerara River

It said that the M.V Galileo Galilei is one of the largest trailing suction hopper dredges in Guyanese waters. It has worked on projects such as the recent beach expansion project in Brazil and other port projects. A special feature of this vessel is that it has two separated hoppers on board. This allows the dredged material to be spread evenly over both hoppers, thus optimally controlling the load and the draught.

The Vreed-en-Hoop project started the first step last June, which entailed the dredging of the access channels in the Demerara River including the deepening/widening of the existing nautical channel, berth pockets, and turning basin.

“This phase has been hailed a success by the project managers and the upgraded channel will be handed over to the maritime administration department in the near future,” the press release stated.

Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. (VESHI) forms part of the port of Vreed-en-Hoop. “Phase one of the project is meant to be the special purpose vehicle to serve as a SURF (Subsea Umbilicals, Flowlines and Riser) Shorebase for Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) projects.

VESHI said it is currently the largest Guyanese private sector investment in the oil and gas sector and is expected to cost over US$300 million. According to the project directors, “the support and encouragement given by the Government of Guyana has been reassuring and augurs well for additional investment and the future of Guyana.”

The Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc. is a joint venture between NRG Holdings Inc.—a 100 percent Guyanese-owned consortium that is the majority shareholder –and Jan De Nul, a Belgium international maritime infrastructure company. The VESHI project is expected to become operational in 2023.

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