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Feature

Dredging

USACE strong support for dredging from the Biden Administra- tion and Congress. The company highlights funding from the following: • The Omnibus Appropriations Bill for ? scal year 2023 which includes a record $8.66 billion budget for the Army

Corps of Engineers’ civil works program; • Of that, $2.32 billion is provided for the Harbor

Maintenance Trust Fund; and, • The Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act for ? scal year 2023 includes $1.48 billion for the Corps to make necessary repairs to infrastructure impacted by hur- ricanes and other natural disasters and to initiate beach renourishment projects that will increase coastal resiliency.

GLDD concludes that “This increased budget and ad- ditional funding support our expectation for a stronger bid market in 2023.”

The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) is a trade organization that works to keep its members timely and connected with USACE’s dredging policies

The USACE Memphis District’s dredge Hurley in January and coastal navigation mission. Jen Armstrong is AAPA’s wrapped up a record-breaking 273-day dredging season.

Director of Navigation Policy and Legislation. In a recent article for AAPA’s Seaports newsletter, Armstrong sug- that several North American lique? ed natural gas (LNG) gested ways that could improve federal budget processes export projects were delayed during the pandemic. How- that impact large engineering projects, such as USACE’s ever, the company comments that “with the increase in projects that can be negatively impacted because they

LNG prices, some of these LNG projects are currently depend on annual appropriations and on a project-by- gaining momentum and are targeting ? nal investment de- project basis.

cisions in 2023.” Armstrong suggests the need to develop a national coast-

GLDD adds further that “we expect that improved mar- al navigation strategy.

ket conditions, combined with the ? eet adjustment and “The volume of ongoing studies and projects in the de- cost reduction initiatives, will provide improved results in sign phase is a bellwether for forecasting future construc- 2023 and beyond.” tion needs,” Armstrong writes. She suggests that to prepare

GLDD references that a number of public policy de- for the next project wave, industry and government lead- velopments are important for the dredging industry. For ership should work now to tackle funding and budgeting example, GLDD is active in offshore wind work. The problems head-on. It’s important to keep in mind that company is constructing the Acadia, a fallpipe vessel for projects often involve a number of major partners, all of subsea rock installation, expected to be delivered in the whom need to contribute to the total cost and within coor- ? rst half of 2025. In 2022, GLDD was awarded rock in- dinated schedules. Armstrong writes that, indeed, a com- stallation contracts for the Empire Wind I and II projects prehensive strategic plan that identi? es and optimizes cost by Equinor and BP, with installation windows in 2025 savings would complement requirements in the National and 2026. The company is bidding additional offshore Defense Authorization Act which directs that the national wind farm projects with rock installations planned for maritime strategy is updated every ? ve years. “Developing 2025 and beyond. a comprehensive strategy for coastal navigation funding is

In a market update section, GLDD notes continued a no-brainer,” Armstrong concludes. 36 | MN June 2023

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