Submerged for examination beneath the water surface
The swift progress of the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal expansion at Schinkel is underway. Sporting a whopping 60-meter length, the eco-friendly cutter suction dredger "Peter the Great," hailing from the Belgian firm Deme, is digging up earth from the deep.
The initial phase involves excavating a near-four-kilometer stretch to a mere four-meter water depth, followed by an eleven-meter one. Approximately 2.5 million cubic meters of soil will be hoisted and disposed of, with close to 1.1 million cubic meters finding its way to the Baltic Sea. The estimated completion time for this project hovers around one year.
As part of the expansion, the canal bed at Nord-Ostsee-Kanal will expand from its previous 44 meters to a spacious 70 meters. The cost for the initial construction phase approaches 120 million euros, with subsequent sections costing an additional 380 million euros and slated for completion by the end of the decade.
This expansion brings about advantages, obstacles, and environmental consequences, including increased shipping capacity, enhanced navigation safety, economic growth, environmental concerns, logistical and technical challenges, cost, and financing, habitat disruption, sedimentation, noise pollution, and water quality changes. To minimize negative impacts, thorough environmental assessments and management plans are essential. This includes responsible disposal of dredged material, minimizing habitat disruption, and monitoring water quality and biodiversity throughout the project.
The environmental-science field plays a significant role in assessing and mitigating the potential environmental impacts of the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal expansion, such as habitat disruption, sedimentation, noise pollution, and water quality changes. The finance sector will oversee the funds required for the project, with an initial investment of 120 million euros for the initial construction phase, followed by 380 million euros for subsequent sections, hence the industry and finance sectors collaborate to ensure the successful completion of the expansion.
