Project Owner: Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure
Project Contractor: Boskalis Westminster Contracting Ltd.
Project Location: Gulhifalhu located on the southern rim of North Malé Atoll
About the Project
GULHIFALHU DREDGING AND RECLAMATION PROJECT
The Gulhifalhu dredging and land reclamation project consists of dredging and reclamation in the eastern part of Gulhifalhu lagoon, as well as the construction of revetments to protect the new land.
The first stage of the project consisted of dredging and placing approximately 6.5 million cubic meters of sand. Sand was dredged from approved borrow areas inside North Male Atoll, just north of Male, Vilimale and Gulhifalhu. Dredging and reclamation took place from June to August 2020. Revetment works to protect the reclamation continued until March 2021.
Preparatory works for the second stage of the project has commenced in February 2023. The dredging and reclamation work is anticipated to take approximately 70 weeks.
Environmental management measures will be in place to reduce the spread of sediment in the water, please find further details here. Water quality monitoring will take place daily around the sand borrow and reclamation areas, please find further details here.
The project owner of this project is the Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure (MoCI). The MoCI is the government authority responsible for planning and development of public infrastructure on islands of the Maldives.
Project Scope
The project scope comprises of the following four components.
Preparatory Works
Sand search (completed in stage 1): Mobilise equipment to survey the potential sand sources within north Malé Atoll and identify the sand borrow areas.
Undertake mitigation measures: Mobilise dry earth moving equipment (e.g. excavators, dump trucks) to site and prepare mitigation measures at the receiving site including containment sand bunds, silt screens and relocate corals.
Shore Protection Works
Equipment and material mobilisation: Mobilise the required equipment and materials (geotextile and rock of different grades) to construct the shore protection.
Shore protection construction: Revetments to be constructed to protect all ocean facing sides of the reclamation works. All inner lagoon facing areas will be protected as part of the port and harbour construction works (to be constructed by others).
Dredging and Reclamation
Equipment and material mobilisation: Mobilise the trailing suction hopper dredger, required floating and shore pipelines and support equipment for the reclamation work.
Dredging and reclamation works: Undertake dredging and reclamation works.
Dredging new entrance channel (completed in stage 1): Since the existing channel on the eastern side of Gulhifalhu was closed during stage 1 a new temporary channel was dredged in the north where the permanent channel will be located.
Demobilization
Handover and demobilize equipment.
Sand Borrow Areas
Project Schedule
The project is estimated to take 9 - 14 months to complete.
Land Use
Ministry of Construction and Infrastructure (MoCI) is responsible for the development of the port and determining the land use of the reclamation area. For more information about this visit www.infrastructure.gov.mv.
