THE Vreed-en-Hoop Shore Base Inc. (VEHSI) has started installing the quay wall structure on its artificial island in the Demerara River.
Quay walls are usually earth retaining structures at which ships can dock.

Members of the project team were on hand to witness the driving of the first set of sheet piles, which marks the start of the quay wall installation. The sheet piles will help retain and stabalise the structure.

So far, the construction process remains on schedule, and additional equipment has been landed on the structure to conduct the compaction phase. There is a permanent construction presence, with work being executed on a 24-hour basis.

This new island is part of the reclaimed land that will be transformed into the estimated 44-acre mega-project to create the shorebase facility.
This facility will form part of the Port of Vreed-en-Hoop. The project is currently in the sandkey reclamation and compaction phase. During this phase, the dredger, M.V Galileo Galilei, will continue the process of adding reclaimed material to create the artificial island on which the new terminal will be constructed.

Additionally, machinery on the island will begin compacting the material into a more stable structure. In the first phase, this project will add more than 44 acres to Guyana’s coastline.
Phase one of the project is meant to be the special purpose vehicle to serve as a SURF (Subsea Umbilical, Riser and Flowlines) shorebase for Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) projects.

The project managers have warned that the site remains an active construction zone and landing on the island is prohibited. Therefore, the team urges all to remain clear of the construction zone and adhere to the previously issued notices. Construction is ongoing, and the land mass will continue to be expanded.

The project started the first step in June 2022, which entailed dredging the access channel in the Demerara River, including the deepening/widening of the existing nautical channel, berth pockets, and turning basin. The project managers have hailed this phase a success and the upgraded channel has been handed over to the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD)
VEHSI is currently the largest Guyanese private sector investment in the oil and gas sector and is expected to cost over US$300 million.

According to the project directors, the support and encouragement given by the Government of Guyana have been reassuring and augur well for additional investment and the future of Guyana. The project is expected to become operational in 2023.

Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase Inc. is a joint venture between NRG Holdings Inc.—a 100 per cent Guyanese-owned consortium that is the majority shareholder –and Jan De Nul, an international maritime infrastructure company headquartered in Luxembourg.