Bill White, US Ambassador to Belgium, and Minister Annick De Ridder, Flemish Minister for Mobility, Public Works, Ports and Sport, visited DEME Group’s headquarters in Beveren–Kruibeke–Zwijndrecht yesterday.
During their visit, they had a brief tour of DEME’s Lookout pavilion and boarded the trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Scheldt River to gain a close-up view of her operations.
On board, they saw how the vessel carries out essential maintenance work, ensuring safe and efficient navigation by dredging sand and silt from the river.
DEME said that their rich maritime heritage is demonstrated by the Scheldt project in Antwerp, where they have been active since 1894.
Nowadays, the crew of the Scheldt River manages an 87‑km stretch of the river, dredging more than 25 million m³ annually.