Dutch dredging firm wins Bahamas contract

The Bahamas has awarded a contract to a Dutch marine engineering contractor to dredge two million cubic metres of sand and mud from a Nassau harbour to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships.

Robert Garraway, an engineer with the archipelago’s Ministry of Works and Transport, said Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. has been awarded the $45m (€33.6m) contract from a pool of five bidders.

Mr Garraway said harbour dredging should be completed by November in order to handle Royal Caribbean’s Project Genesis mega-cruisers, including the Oasis of the Seas, a 5,400-passenger ship which is due to arrive in mid-December.