Minister Turner Leads Delegation to Holland as Government Takes Control of Harbour Dredging

Minister Rawdon Turner is leading a government delegation to Holland this week to negotiate directly with suppliers as Antigua and Barbuda moves to take control of critical harbour dredging projects. The team includes the Port Manager, a Ministry of Works engineer, and leadership from the newly state-owned Blue Ocean Dredging Company.

After years of stalled progress and skyrocketing costs from foreign contractors, the government is now placing its trust in local capacity to complete dredging works at St. John’s Harbour and Crabbs Harbour.

At St. John’s, approximately 140,000 cubic meters of rock and silt remain to be cleared, while Crabbs Harbour has roughly 150,000 cubic meters outstanding. Officials warn that delays have hampered expansion in shipping and cruise tourism.

Attempts to contract international firms proved prohibitively expensive. Dutch company Boskalis quoted nearly USD 2 million just to mobilize equipment; Van Oord requested USD 430,000 per day without guarantees; and Jan De Nul priced the job at USD 9 million. Other quotes ranged from USD 57 to USD 380 per cubic meter, far above what the local market could sustain.

By contrast, Blue Ocean Marine, based in Antigua, has been dredging at just USD 21.50 per cubic meter. The company’s previous limitation—lack of heavy-duty equipment—is being addressed through Cabinet approval to purchase a Caterpillar 6015 Excavator, lease a pontoon barge, and recruit experienced operators and mechanics.

Plans extend beyond harbour maintenance to beach replenishment, sand mining for construction, and regional contracts, positioning Antigua as a potential hub for dredging services. The hopper dredger M.B. Amaru is expected to play a central role, with operating costs projected at just over USD 600,000 for three months.

Officials emphasize that the initiative will save millions while finally delivering projects long trapped in negotiation limbo.

“We cannot continue to pay inflated prices and wait indefinitely,” a Cabinet statement said.

“Investing in our own capacity is the only sustainable solution.”

The delegation’s findings will be returned to Cabinet in the coming weeks, marking a decisive step toward Antigua and Barbuda controlling its maritime future.