Maputo, Mozambique, 15 May – The dredger ship that will operate in the access channel to Mozambique’s Beira port will Tuesday be officially handed over at a ceremony in Japan, according to Mozambican newspaper, Notícias.

The ship, which is financed by the government of Japan, is due to arrive at Beira port in June, relieving Mozambican dredging company Emodraga which, currently, operates with just one dredger after another, named Rovuma, went down.

The new dredger, named Alcantara Santos, is valued at US$20.4 million, and has a 1,000 cubic meter capacity and 400-meter draught, with a dredging depth of 20 meters.

In a statement, Emodraga said that South African company Sub-Tech had won the public tender for removal of the Rovuma dredger.

The Rovuma was due to be put out of commission in June, as it was considered to be too old, as it had been in operation for some 45 years, against tehb15 to 20 years set for the normal working life for vessels of this kind. (macauhub)