EXCLUSIVE: Jan De Nul’s giant Cristóbal Colón raises the bar in the Maldives

Land reclamation operations at Rasmale’ Site A have reached a key milestone, with 23 hectares reclaimed out of the planned 137.5 hectares, marking overall progress of 17%, Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL) said.

The land reclamation works are being carried out using Cristóbal Colón, one of the world’s two largest trailing suction hopper dredgers (TSHDs).

With a capacity of 46,000 cubic meters, the giant dredger is operated by international dredging company Jan De Nul, enabling large-scale and efficient reclamation works at the site.

MACL started reclamation activities at Rasmale’ Site A on December 1.

The project is a major component of the broader Rasmale’ development initiative, aimed at expanding land availability to support future infrastructure and development needs.

Work at the site is continuing as planned, with further progress expected in the coming months, MACL concluded.