EXCLUSIVE: Jan De Nul’s TSHD Galileo Galilei returns to Itapoá

After a period in Europe to undergo scheduled technical revisions and update international safety certifications required for a vessels of its size, Jan De Nul’s trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) Galileo Galilei returned to Itapoá (SC) yesterday.

According to local media, the giant TSHD today resumed the dredging operations in Babitonga Bay, a $67 million project that has already removed 4.9 million cubic meters of sand to deepen the port channel and feed Brazil’s largest beach widening.

Before returning to Santa Catarina, the dredger passed through Paranaguá (PR), where it refueled for the final trip to the operating point.

Jan De Nul said that the first phase of this massive beach widening program was completed between October 11, 2025, and January 14, 2026. Over a length of 8 kilometers, the beach was widened to minimum 40 meters, creating a stronger natural buffer against wave action and storm events.

During the second phase, a stretch of 6 kilometers will be further widened to more than 150 meters.

According to Jan De Nul, this project is a unique public-private partnership between the Port Authority of São Francisco do Sul and the Itapoá Terminal.