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When you think of dredging, you quickly think of large vessels in wide waterways and harbors. But small-scale dredging in inner-city areas is also essential for maintaining water safety, water quality and passage. In addition, dredging contributes to biodiversity. If dredging is not done, the waterway deteriorates and ecological values are lost. It is precisely where space is limited, such as in ditches, narrow waterways or ditches in the middle of residential areas, that Dredging Company West Friesland feels at home. And in those places, its own shoring set also comes in handy.
Since 2007 we have operated as a specialized dredging company with a clear focus on small-scale dredging in inner-city areas, begins Steven van der Gulik, co-owner of Baggerbedrijf West Friesland. “With my partner and a close-knit team of about ten employees, we mainly serve the northern part of the Netherlands, with occasional forays into the south.”
The dredging sets consist of hydraulic mobile excavators combined with sliding boats in three sizes: mini, midi and large. “We own practically every type of push boat available for small-scale dredging,” says Van der Gulik. “In addition, we are now investing in the development of an electric slide boat.” Although he does immediately add a caveat to this: “Although clients are keen on sustainability, budget and practicality in inner-city situations remain a challenge. Due to the short duration of our work and continuous travel through neighborhoods, electric deployment is logistically complex. Nevertheless, we persevere, and are currently working primarily with HVO100 as a cleaner intermediate solution.”
Baggerbedrijf West Friesland's shoring set consists of a pontoon with a 9-ton crawler excavator manned by a permanent team. “This specialty was once created because for years dredging work virtually stopped during the breeding season,” Van der Gulik says. “The current Environment Act, into which the Nature Protection Act has been absorbed, makes year-round work possible, provided you comply with the duty of care. All our employees are fully trained in this. Still, we notice that many municipalities and water boards cling to old habits for fear of public criticism. This leaves valuable opportunities in the market untapped.”
“We stand out as a small, flexible and expert company that combines great agility with high quality,” Van der Gulik summarizes. “In the multiple negotiated market, we receive invitations year after year, which is confirmation of our professionalism. In addition, we work closely with competitor companies to execute projects efficiently and professionally. For example, we are currently working as a general contractor on a major project for the municipality of Heerenveen. In addition, our dredging sets are running in Enschede and we are working with our shoring set in the province of North Holland, where we are renewing both wooden and plastic shoring.”
