The Chantal Biya dredger, named after Cameroon’s First Lady, returned to Douala Port on August 16, 2024, after being renovated at ShipSidedrydock in Nigeria. This 54-meter-long, multifunctional dredger, which can dredge up to 12 meters deep, had been out of service for ten years. Originally purchased in 1997, it is now back in action.

The renovation, initially expected to take six months and cost CFA1.7 billion, ended up taking 20 months. The final cost has not been disclosed. The work included restoring the dredger’s nine engines, replacing hull plates, sandblasting, painting, overhauling the hull valves, upgrading all operational systems, and installing new dredging equipment.

With its return, the Chantal Biya dredger will soon be used for essential tasks at Douala Port, including maintaining and deepening waterways, docks, quays, and secondary channels. The Port Authority of Douala (PAD) expects that with this dredger, they can reduce dredging costs to under CFA2 billion per year in the coming years.

In 2021, dredging costs were CFA2.9 billion, rising to over CFA5.6 billion in 2022. The PAD had projected these costs would reach CFA18 billion over the next three years, averaging CFA6 billion per year. By cutting these costs to less than CFA2 billion annually, PAD stands to save over CFA4 billion each year compared to their initial estimates.

According to PAD officials, the Chantal Biya dredger strengthens Cameroon’s ability to manage its dredging needs internally, reducing reliance on multinational companies. Between 1987 and 2019, PAD spent CFA180.6 billion on dredging, with CFA156 billion spent between 2004 and 2019, averaging CFA10.5 billion per year over the last 15 years. In response to these high costs, PAD established its own Dredging Management Agency and acquired two new dredgers for its waterways, quays, docks, and channels.

Source: Business in Cameroon