IDC to engage in sand-extraction to replenish sand-pile |29 August 2023
The Islands Development Company has been given the go-ahead to engage in sand-extraction, to replenish the sand pile which the company offers the local market for construction and reclamation purposes.
Having concluded all the administrative formalities, the Islands Development Company (IDC) plans to commence the dredging works as of February 2024 to re-establish a stock of 500,000 to 600,000 cubic metres of sand, which based on its forecasts, will last between eight to 10 years.
The sand extraction will be carried out at two sites previously demarcated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, the first located to the north west of Silhouette island, while the second is located to the west of Mahé.
Chief executive of IDC Glenny Savy explained to the press yesterday that sand stocks from the first phase of extraction some 10 years ago have now ran out, necessitating a second phase.
“It has been a number of years since we have been informing government of diminishing stocks and the importance of replenishing the stock, but it took government a number of years to make a final decision,” said Mr Savy.
“Personally, I think this is an exercise that should be done from time to time. It is a resource which the country needs, and the type of sand which we are extracting is good for either reclamation or construction,” Mr Savy noted.
The first extraction was financed by government, although the sand pile was managed and sold to the public by IDC at a rate of R135 per ton. IDC earned around SR25 per ton, in managing the sand pile, as well as operation of the weigh bridge and loading and unloading.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment conducted research and completed a Class 1 environmental impact assessment (EIA) extraction, prior to demarcating the two sites as fit for extraction before the first phase.
“This second phase of extraction did not require a Class 1 EIA, but we conducted a Class 2 EIA, meaning a study which takes into consideration the effects of the first extraction. It has just been approved,” Mr Savy noted.
The Class 2 EIA has been conducted by Eco-Sol Consulting Limited, an independent company headed by Nimhan Senaratne.
Key stakeholders including fishing communities, dive operators, and relevant authorities including the Seychelles Maritime Safety Authority (SMSA) were involved in the consultation process.
In light of the significant costs associated with operating the dredger, the price per ton of sand is yet to be set. Mobilising and demobilising costs are around USD 4 million.
“Much of it will also depend on the price of fuel when the dredger is here, as one of the major components is fuel costs. But I hope that towards the end of the year, we will have a more precise idea of what it will cost,” Mr Savy stated.
The government has temporarily allocated IDC a site at Ile Aurore for the sand pile, from which it will run its operations.
By Laura Pillay