A critical monopile shipment that was destined for Ogden Point Pier was lost at sea in early December, according to the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA).
The shipment was part of Ogden Point’s new mooring dolphin extension, which will extend Pier B in Ogden Point by 55 metres, allowing it to accommodate larger cruise ships.
The two large pile pieces, which weighed approximately 400,000 pounds, were lost some 250 nautical miles away from Victoria.
The steel was on the home stretch of it’s journey, day 29 of 30 of it’s schedule, from Shanghai to Vancouver Harbour where it would later be transferred to Victoria.
GVHA says they’re unsure of how the steel was lost but that weather conditions may have been a factor.
“It’s our understanding that it was rough seas,” GVHA’s Brian Cant told Victoria Buzz.
Construction Continues
Before the pile shipment was lost, the dolphin extension project was originally set to be completed by summer 2019 in time for cruise ship season.
The loss of supplies has altered plans, but GVHA says that the project should still be completed at approximately the same time.
“While the organization faced a setback, we’re moving forward with an back up plan to offset the impact of this loss with a modified design using smaller diameter piles,” said GVHA in a release.
“It’s a different design now. We’re sourcing North American steel due to the time constraint,” said Cant.
Overall cost for the original project was estimated at $6.8 million. The harbour authority believes that the re-design plus cost of materials will add another $3 – $4 million to the project.
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