During COP 26, Peel Ports became the first Port operator to sign the COP26 SedNet Sediment Management Pledge. This demonstrated our commitment to investigating alternative uses for maintenance dredge material across our ports.
It has been some time since the Pledge was launched and we would like to provide an update of beneficial re-use schemes we have been investigating across our UK ports:
- In Liverpool, our long-term beneficial re-use project has been in operation for excess of 10 years and we continue to hold regular meetings with our Mersey Sediment Stakeholder Group to review further opportunities for beneficial re-use projects. We are also assessing how changes in our dredging methodologies may be able to influence beneficial re-use, to protect and enhance areas that are eroding due to sea level rise whilst reducing carbon emissions associated with dredge activity.
- In Medway we have been discussing beneficial re-use opportunities with local stakeholders and regulators to assess if material can be used to benefit local habitats and species across islands vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Our aim is to investigate potential sites that would benefit from material in more detail and to develop a larger Stakeholder Group. We are also aiming to undertake research to identify further studies and licensing requirements to facilitate implementation of a beneficial re-use project. We are also looking at working with the Thames Estuary Partnership who are coordinating a wider Sustainable Sediment Working Group across the Thames, Medway and The Swale.
- We have established Sediment Stakeholder Groups in Clyde and Great Yarmouth to assess and review long and short-term projects for beneficial re-use, as part of our wider Group Marine beneficial re-use strategy.
- On a broader scale we are working with local Universities to investigate the effect of different dredge methodologies on carbon released from sediment during dredging. This is a very exciting concept, the outcomes of which will be highly beneficial to inform the beneficial re-use initiatives we are assessing across our Group, to ensure they deliver a benefit in terms of habitat creation but also in reduction of carbon.
- Finally, we have been working with regulators to review locations for beneficial re-use across each of our ports, for inclusion on a centralised database highlighting re-use opportunities.’
To find out more about Marine Environmental projects at Peel Ports, please click here.