DPC CEDA in Tallinn Building bridges – Here to help – Learning lessons – Windfarms – Overkill – Keeping a balance – Professor Jüri Elken Polite Laboyrie Stefan Aarninkhof Urmas Lips Wil Borst Michael Shilin CEDA Keeps It Green Around 50 delegates from across Europe arrived in Estonia’s capital to attend Dredging and the Environment, co-hosted by CEDA’s Environment Commission and the Marine Systems Institute at the Tallinn University of Technology – DPC’s TOM BAILEY was among them uring his welcome address at always a need for careful planning, from CEDA and IADC highlighted the the Tallink Spa & Conference comparing several options, calculating latest update to the publication edited DHotel on 15 October, Professor the costs and, of course, complying by Nick Bray. Jüri Elken, director of MSI, told the with legislation. Last but not least, it’s “We in the industry should be able to attendees that “the seminar today will important to monitor predictions and predict and assess the effects of planned offer a good bridge between marine to learn from the things you are doing. dredging activity in a very scientific science and engineering”. We at CEDA want to help all parties and reliable way – and introduce He went on to highlight the involved and continue discussions on appropriate control measures,” said importance of “a more holistic the basis of up-to-date information and Polite. “To be able to do this, we need approach” to maritime construction relevant knowledge.” methodologies and guidance. That’s works before handing over to Polite Polite was also handed the task what this book is providing. While it Laboyrie, chairman of CEDA’s of delivering Session One’s opening does recommend particular approaches, Environment Commission, who presentation on Dredging and the it gives you a balanced view. It won’t continued the opening statement: Environment: Issues and Approaches, tell you exactly what to do, but it does “Dredging looks very, very simple, which was chaired by Prof Elken. provide a framework.” but we professionals in the field know Environmental Aspects of Dredging: Next up was Dr Stefan Aarninkhof, that there’s much more to it. There’s Up to Date Guidance in the New Book senior project engineer with Boskalis JANUARY 2009 DREDGING AND PORT CONSTRUCTION 44 www.dpcmagazine.com CEDA in Tallinn DPC Challenged – Minimalistic – Comprehensive – Beata Vilimaite- Uncertain – Sustainable solution Lindsay Murray Thorsten Gallus Anders Jensen Silobritiene Philip Spadaro – Bart Callaert subsidiary Hydronamic, who delivered the Environmental Monitoring of those taken at Maasvlakte 2 were over- a superb summary of how ecological the Recent Expansion of the Port of the-top: “I think what we’ve had to do concerns can affect projects entitled Tallinn. “We had to consider several at Maaskvlakte is overkill, personally. Environmental Aspects of Dredging environmental risk issues: contaminants If everyone has to do what we have Works in Practice. in sediments, meteorological conditions, done, it’s good for consultants!” He “At Boskalis we have roughly 500 marine biota, socio-economic impacts added that the costs associated with dredging tenders per year in Europe,” and hydrodynamic conditions,” environmental impact studies aren’t he said. “Less than 10 years ago, about he said, continuing: “Dredging at popular: “We don’t like to spend the 15% of these 500 tenders came with Muuga Bay has been done in an money, but we have to. My boss says environmental restrictions. Last year optimal way and the environmental we’re not a scientific institute, we are a it was over 50%. There’s a growing impact has been minimal.” port – we just want to construct a port! awareness of environmental aspects Environmental Investigations for But if we don’t, no permit, no go.” around dredging and that puts higher Maasvlakte 2 was the theme for Prof Michael Shilin from the Russian demands on the services we offer.” Wil Borst, the Port of Rotterdam’s State Hydrometeorological University He went on to explain that simply director of environment, safety in St Petersburg, Russia, was up applying the same measures to every and spatial planning. He left next, with a presentation entitled project is the wrong approach: “Each delegates in no doubt as to just Comparison of Ecological Safety of project differs in all aspects – why how demanding the project Terminals in Primorsk and Ust-Luga would we copy and paste environmental has been in terms of satisfying on the Base of Original Observations. constraints from project to project all ecological concerns: “There He spoke of projects’ impacts on over the world? It shouldn’t happen, are roughly 6,500 pages in the benthic communities, highlighting but nevertheless it does. Lessons should environmental impact assessment the ways in which delicate balances be carried from one project to the next – and that’s just the main report can be disrupted: “Sometimes the – not limits.” and appendices. It doesn’t communities can consist of include all the special maybe five to seven species. PORTS AND WINDFARMS studies that have been When the number of species Photo: iStockphoto …was the theme for Session Two, carried out.” is this low, then every two or which was chaired by MSI’s Prof Wil later admitted three migrating species can Urmas Lips and saw Prof Elken return he felt that, although change the whole situation.” to the microphone to start things environmental measures The Environmental Impact off with his presentation, Results of are clearly important, of Offshore Windfarms by Dr Lindsay Murray – from the www.dpcmagazine.com 45 DREDGING AND PORT CONSTRUCTION JANUARY 2009 DPC CEDA in Tallinn environment and ecosystems division of the UK’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science – wrapped up the session. “Offshore windfarms offer novel challenges when it comes to impact assessment,” she said. “There are two particular aspects that you need to consider above the seabed – bird migration and military radar. Bird migration is a big issue; it could actually be a show-stopper.” She went on to outline some of the subsea impacts that windfarms can have, with major concerns including noise, suspended sediments, loss of seabed habitat and electromagnetic fields from cables. WELL REFRESHED Around 50 delegates gathered at the Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel Returning from lunch, attendees settled down for Session Three on Large Infrastructure and Sand Extraction, assessments are being carried out for Impact Assessments for Large chaired by Polite Laboyrie. Nord each of them. “The main objective from Infrastructure Projects, which focused Stream’s Thorsten Gallus got us under an engineering and pipeline operator on Femern Bælt’s fixed link project way with Seabed Conditions of the point of view is always to minimise across the Fehmarnbelt between Baltic Sea – Special Requirements for pipeline length,” said Thorsten. “To Rødby in Denmark and Puttgarden, Infrastructure Projects, focused on the find the optimal route we had to take Germany. The project’s preferred company’s 1,220km offshore pipeline into account various factors, including technical solution is a cable-stayed connecting Vyborg in Russia with seabed conditions, areas with unsuitable bridge, which is currently in the design Greifswald, Germany. or irregular seabeds, large areas of soft and investigation phase along with an The pipeline will cross five countries’ sediment, environmentally protected alternative immersed tunnel. exclusive economic zones – Russia, areas, shipping traffic, and so on.” “Safety is a big aspect in choosing Finland, Sweden, Denmark and New CEDA president Anders Jensen between a bridge and a tunnel for Germany – and environmental impact stepped up next with Environmental fixed link projects – fire risks are a big Technical Visit The conference concluded with a visit to Muuga Harbour, which boasts container, dry bulk, liquid bulk, general cargo and ro-ro facilities The main feature of the trip was a presentation entitled Development Plans for the Port of Tallinn and Related Environmental Issues, which outlined some of the challenges facing the port’s recent expansion projects. Environmental impact assessments were required before work could get under way on extensions at Muuga, sand extraction at Naissaare, Ihasalu and Hiiumadala, the construction of breakwaters at Muuga and Paldiski South Harbour and dredging Tallinn of Port Photos: at Muuga and Old City Harbour. Marine environment monitoring at the port is carried out with the help of Tallinn University of Technology, MSI, the Estonian Marine Institute, University of Tartu and the Estonian Maritime Academy. Future expansion plans at the port include construction of 2,030m of new quay at Muuga Harbour, two new quays at Paldiski South Harbour and maintenance dredging at Old City Harbour. Future projects for Paldiski South Harbour (top right) include two new quays as well as a car terminal and an industrial park Muuga Harbour (below) was the destination for the following morning’s technical visit JANUARY 2009 DREDGING AND PORT CONSTRUCTION 46 www.dpcmagazine.com CEDA in Tallinn DPC consideration for tunnels,” said Anders. general public and say there’s mercury “Also, it’s not very nice to have to drive in the sediment and the fish are in for more than 10km underground.” contact with it, they’ll probably be “Quotes” Construction is planned for between concerned – but how much mercury, 2013 and 2018 once approval is given, how much is getting into the fish but in the meantime environmental and how much you’re eating are all “Flounder is very impact assessments are under way, important factors that determine popular. If it’s dried, which Anders is directly involved with. whether it’s a problem that warrants it’s very good with “Environmental impact requirements us spending money on that rather than beer!” – Prof Jüri are considerably tougher in Germany something else in the environment.” Elken recommends a than they are in Denmark,” he added.
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