A dive into the world of civil underwater construction

Over the past 20 years, Aquatech Diving has made a good name for itself as a diving company specializing in civil underwater construction. In a world where water management and construction projects are becoming increasingly complex, the Frisian company took the next important step last year. As a result, the year 2023 became an above expectations dynamic year with special projects they are more than proud of. 

In 2022 Aquatech split into two divisions, Aquatech Offshore and Aquatech Diving. This created the need for an umbrella name, this became Aquatech Group making the whole thing explainable and thus allowing both divisions to specialize even better in their respective fields. The year 2023 brought Aquatech Group many challenges and opportunities. For example, the inshore division under the leadership of Steven Spanhaak achieved great successes. One notable project Steven is proud of is Aquatech Diving's involvement in the redevelopment of the Singelgracht Marnix garage in Amsterdam. "Here our divers burned 1,200 meters of sheet piling. Another milestone was preparing the construction pit of Hoofdstation Groningen. An underground bicycle parking facility and bus underpass are being realized there. This complex operation certainly required the necessary precision and craftsmanship." Steven emphasizes that Aquatech Group's professionals are especially good at non-standard work, especially construction and building work. "In recent years, we at Aquatech have built a reputation for tackling complex and technically challenging problems quickly and effectively. Because we are particularly good at construction and building work, we also want to continue to grow in this area in the coming years."

Hustle on the North Sea

The offshore division, led by Rob Borgonjen, also got off to an impressive start. "One of our first major projects was commissioned by NOGAT, which was immediately a feat. The project involved a gas pipeline above Texel with a diameter of 90 centimeters. Of this, the concrete coating had come loose, causing the pipeline to start floating." According to Rob, a special situation that called for a pragmatic solution that could be realized quickly. "In the space of roughly a week, we arranged everything to take action. For this we deployed the Glomar Worker, an impressive 60-meter-long Diving Support Vessel, with a team of 22 divers, supervisors and inspection specialists. They placed concrete blocks with a cutout over the pipeline to keep it safely in place." The team's adequate work certainly did not go unnoticed by NOGAT. Peter Baars, Operations Manager NOGAT said, "Thanks to the smooth availability and efforts made, escalation to the environment was prevented and we were able to maintain transportation continuity. NOGAT hopes to conduct activities with Aquatech again in the future."

Offshore Wind in the North Sea

Another special project that Aquatech Offshore successfully completed last year was on behalf of Eneco. At one of the wind farms in the North Sea, a number of cables, which could potentially fail, had to be replaced. Aquatech Offshore was asked to remove several 'cable protection systems'. For this challenge, Aquatech Offshore mobilized a diving team of 18 divers, supervisors and inspection specialists. With their expertise and precision, they managed to complete the set tasks within the planned time frame. Rob: "This project demonstrates that we at Aquatech Offshore have professionals who can lead and accomplish complex technical diving operations. We are a relatively small team of hard workers who go for quality and satisfied customers."

Next challenge in 2024

With a successful 2023 behind us, Aquatech Group is now looking ahead to 2024. One of the first projects on the agenda is the refurbishment of the ferry ports, seven in all. The renovation and maintenance work varies by location. "From our Inshore
division we will be applying cathodic protection to the sheet piling, which is a huge undertaking. Apart from great projects, our focus in 2024 is mainly on making our organization even more efficient."