Antigua and Barbuda Cabinet OKs EUR 1.1M dredging equipment purchase

Antigua and Barbuda’s Cabinet has approved the purchase of specialized dredging equipment to restart stalled works at St John’s and Crabbs harbors.

According to local media, a delegation led by Minister Rawdon Turner visited the Netherlands last week to meet suppliers and later briefed Cabinet on the €1.1 million (approx. $1.3 million) Caterpillar 6015 Excavator package, which includes advanced attachments for rock-breaking.

This action follows a new partnership between the Port Authority, Ministry of Works and Blue Ocean Dredging, which previously built the country’s fifth cruise berth.

Earlier, dredging work at St John’s was halted when equipment was damaged by hard rock formations, with international alternatives deemed too costly.

The Government said that approximately 20,000 cubic meters of rock and 120,000 cubic meters of maintenance dredging remain at St. John’s Harbor, while Crabbs Harbor still requires about 150,000 cubic meters of dredging.