Great Lakes says Administration demonstrates ‘consistent support’ for dredging

The company said, “The Administration continues to demonstrate strong and consistent support for the dredging industry. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is operating in fiscal year 2025 under a continuing resolution, enacted on March 15, 2025, which sustains the funding levels established in the prior fiscal year’s record-setting budget through September 30, 2025. Our $1 billion project backlog and the inclusion of resources from the 2023 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations should enable us to continue to deliver on a very busy 2025. The Water Resources Development Act, reauthorized every two years, funds the Corps’ projects related to flood protection, dredging, and ecosystem restoration. On January 4, 2025, WRDA 2024 was signed into law, authorizing new capital investments to enhance flood protection, coastal resilience, and ecosystem restoration. Previously, WRDA 2022 authorized deepening shipping channels in New York and New Jersey to 55 feet and advanced the Coastal Texas Protection and Restoration Program. In addition to the planned New York and New Jersey deepening, additional large-scale projects are expected to commence in the next two to three years in Tampa Bay, New Haven, Baltimore, among others. Following the resolution of the temporary pause from the Bureau of Ocean Management, Equinor’s Empire Wind I project, which is part of our Offshore Energy backlog, has resumed in accordance with its schedule. We have secured full utilization of the Acadia for 2026 and are currently bidding work for 2027 and beyond. In anticipation of potential delays in U.S. offshore wind projects, we proactively expanded the Acadia’s strategic target markets to include oil and gas pipeline protection, power and telecommunications cable protection, and international offshore wind. This diversification increases our opportunities into a broader range of services we now refer to as Offshore Energy. Our strategy is supported by a global shortage of rock placement vessels, and we are actively pursuing opportunities across these sectors to ensure strong and sustained utilization of the Acadia well into the future.”