New Oulu deep-water channel dredging starts in September

The depth of the current entry channel to the Port of Oulu is 10.0 metres. In accordance with the Water Act, the Finnish Transport Agency and the City of Oulu have applied for a permit to deepen the sea channel leading to the Port of Oulu, the entry channel to the Port and the harbour basin to 12.5 metres, and to deposit the dredging masses on land. The permit was granted in spring.

The length of the new deep-water channel is 77 kilometres, 55 of which consist of a completely new northern route. The starting point of the deep-water channel is 25 kilometres north of the current 10-metre channel, which runs closer to Hailuoto. With the current alignment, the sea channel leading to Oulu is bendy and prone to shallowing. The new alignment mostly follows a deep natural channel, which means that the need for dredging is greatly reduced compared to deepening the current channel. As the volume of ship traffic is expected to rise, a new and deeper channel will also improve traffic safety.

The construction of new dredge deposit and settling pools commenced in Oritkari in December 2016 and was completed in December 2017. The dredging masses from the Port entry channel and the harbour basin, totalling about 1,650,000 m3 theoretical solid volume, will be deposited in the pools once they are completed. The dredging masses from the new deep-water channel total about 280,000 m3 theoretical solid volume, 80,000 m3 theoretical solid volume of which is to be deposited near the dredging sites in three water deposit areas, while 200,000 m3 theoretical solid volume will be placed in the harbour deposit pools.

New Oulu deep-water channel dredging starts in September by Belgian enterprise Jan De Nul NV.