World News
BMT to Conduct Marine and Port Assessments for Nicaragua Canal
BMT Group Ltd (BMT) has announced in an emailed press release that its subsidiaries, BMT Asia Pacific and BMT ARGOSS, have been selected by China's Hong Kong Nicaraguan Development (HKND) to conduct a series of marine and port assessments for an alternative to the Panama Canal proposed for construction in Nicaragua.
"We are seeking to access BMT’s global network of subject matter experts to assemble a highly capable, technical team to address the Canal’s marine safety and traffic challenges from all angles,” said K W Pang, Executive Director at HKND.
BMT explains that it will assist with developing and validating the canal's design and operations by way of a structured design framework.
"Our Study will seek to articulate a solution that minimises canal excavation while ensuring adequate canal capacity and safety," said Richard D Colwill, Managing Director at BMT Asia Pacific.
"A crucial part of that solution involves sophisticated navigation and transport simulation, which will set the basis for identifying a design that balances excavation CAPEX with operational safety, efficiency and capacity."
BMT says that its proprietary simulator, REMBRANDT, will be used to recreate typical navigation scenarios, providing output to assist engineers and mariners to examine varying design geometries.
"Through REMBRANDT BMT will provide early and decisive insight on potential marine constraints, enabling us to identify appropriate mitigation and optimisation measures - be it physical or operational in nature," said Captain Paul Morter of BMT ARGOSS.
BMT says it will also be responsible for BMT updating the canal's business case for Pacific and Caribbean ocean ports, identifying the ports' potential competitive positioning.
In November, Ship & Bunker reported that HKND is delaying breaking ground on the $50 billion inter-ocean canal across Nicaragua.
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