Boskalis announced from Papendrecht on 30 January 2023 that it had acquired a contract from the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and Infrastructure of the Republic of the Maldives relating to the further development including climate adaptive measures of Gulhifalhu.

It is understood that the contract carries a value of approximately €120 million.

This project concerns the second phase of the expansion of the island of Gulhifalhu for which Boskalis also executed the first phase in recent years.

Port development

Development of Gulhifalhu, which is located approximately four kilometres

from the capital Malé, is part of the Ministry of National Planning, Housing and

Infrastructure’s strategic plan to improve and develop the port infrastructure,

and will serve as a climate adaptive solution, making this part of the Maldives

resilient to rising sea levels.

For the second phase of the island’s expansion, Boskalis will deploy a large trailing suction hopper dredger to reclaim new land using approximately eighteen million cubic metres of sand. Boskalis’ activities also include rock revetment work for shoreline protection.

Environmental assessment

To manage the environmental impacts of the dredging and land reclamation

activities, a comprehensive environmental impact assessment was conducted

in accordance with the highest international standards. To mitigate possible

adverse effects, Boskalis is implementing various measures, including coral

relocation and measures to limit the spreading of sediments in the water in

combination with regular monitoring of the water quality.

Over the past two decades, Boskalis has successfully executed several climate-adaptive dredging and land reclamation projects in the Maldives, including reconstruction work on the islands of Vilufushi and Villingili following the devastating tsunami in late 2004 and the initial development of Gulhifalhu in 2010 and 2012. In addition, Boskalis was responsible for the successful execution of the first phase of the expansion of Gulhifalhu in 2019 and 2020.

About Boskalis

Boskalis is a leading global services provider operating in the dredging, maritime infrastructure and maritime services sectors. The company provides creative and innovative all-round solutions to infrastructural challenges in the maritime, coastal and delta regions of the world. With core activities such as coastal defence, riverbank protection and land reclamation Boskalis is able to provide adaptive and mitigating solutions to combat the effects of climate change, such

as extreme weather conditions and rising sea levels, as well as delivering solutions for the increasing need for space in coastal and delta regions across the world.

The company facilitates the development of offshore energy infrastructure, including renewable wind energy. Boskalis is furthermore active in the construction and maintenance of ports, waterways, access channels and civil infrastructure, thus helping to facilitate trade flows and regional socio-economic development. In addition, Boskalis is a global marine salvage expert and has a strategic partnership in terminal services (Smit Lamnalco).

Boskalis has a versatile fleet of more than 500 vessels and floating equipment and approximately 10,000 employees around the world.