Welcome to Akuna Dredging Solutions

Akuna Dredging Solutions Pty Ltd offers engineering and management support to its Clients and is capable to assist during all development stages of dredging and reclamation projects.

Akuna Dredging Solutions

Co-Operators

Our wide and extensive international experience in the dredging industry gives us the advantage to assist in solving your challenges. We work in a cooperative manner to bring you innovative solutions keeping the important safety and environmental aspects prominently in view.

Leaders

We can take a leading or supporting role in reviewing tender submittals and assessing their quality and feasibility. We can assist our Clients during their contract negotiations to make the correct strategic decisions towards a workable contract document.

Experience

Based on our long standing experience, we can assist and advise our Clients during the pre-qualification and tender document preparation phase as well as during the execution of the project.

We will work for and with you to achieve the best mutual result while we observe ethical values and appropriate corporate governance. We are committed to our Clients in our endeavour to build long-term relationships.

We have the experience to work in multi cultural environments and can shape our involvement and service as per your requirement.

Our Services

Akuna Dredging Solutions Pty Ltd has the capability to take a leading role in all development stages of dredging and reclamation projects.

Tender Preparation

Based on hands on engineering experience we can assist in tender document preparation including site investigations and budgeting support for Financial Investment Decisions. Project budget estimates are driven by the right equipment selection, its availability and the prevailing market forces.

We can bring a wide range of expertise to your project.

We can take a leading or supporting role in reviewing tender submittals and assessing their quality and feasibility. We can assist our Clients during their contract negotiations with the successful tenderer, which can be crucial to mitigate possible claims during the execution phase of the project.

During the contract execution we can be instrumental for the Project Management and supervision. We can support in Contract Management as well as with Project Studies covering various disciplines relating to dredging and reclamation projects.

Based on worldwide experience in a variety of positions in the dredging contractor’s field we can bring a wide range of expertise to your project.

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Mentor and Partnerships

We have and still do contribute to the PIANC ANZ Mentoring Program 2021, 2022 and 2023 and find gratification as Mentor in sharing our extensive knowledge of the industry.

Akuna Dredging Solutions engaged into a partnership agreement with a UK based consultant to promote each others services and increase the knowledge base for our Clients.

About Us

Akuna Dredging Solutions Pty Ltd is being lead by Jack HC Kerklaan who has gained hands on experience with large scale dredging and reclamation projects throughout the world while working in the dredging industry since 1977.

Leadership

In various management roles, he has been responsible for the commercial aspects of dredging and reclamation projects, from tender stage through to successful project execution both technical as well as financial. With a leadership style of influence and engagement, he is capable to be pivotal in creating and sustaining motivated and energetic team environments on project sites and in office settings.

His client-orientated, relationship-building skills, his proactive approach in solving challenges and his ongoing relationship with a variety of Parties will be an excellent foundation for close cooperation and collaborative understanding of all dredging-related aspects on your project.

Qualifications

He holds a B.Sc. in both Civil Engineering and Industrial Management and followed the IMD High Performance Leadership course, the Advanced Course Management Dredging Projects and the Open University Marketing and Organization course. He furthermore followed courses in Effective Management, Commercial Negotiations, Finance and Contractual Awareness.

As a result of working worldwide he is fluent in English and has a working knowledge of German and French. He also served in the Dutch Army as Full Lieutenant with the Corps of Army Engineers.

He has executed very large Joint Venture projects as Project Manager of which the amalgamation of the Jurong Industrial Islands in Singapore was one. This project with a Japanese partner, Korean and Dutch sub-contractors and a Singaporean Client showed his ability to deliver results in a technically challenging and multi cultural environment.

He also showed his commitment in sharing his extensive experience by establishing and managing a Traineeship Program which was acclaimed as the best construction industry program in the Netherlands in 2007.

Affiliations

Member, Dispute Resolution Board Foundation Inc
Member, PIANC Australia Inc
PIANC Mentor 2021, 2022 and 2023

Advisory Board Member

Environmental Dredging Solutions Pty Ltd
Sentient Ports Pty Ltd

March 2011 – present:

Akuna Dredging Solutions Pty Ltd

  • Managing Director

June 2023 – present:

Dredging advisor with Salaverry Terminal Internacional for the Port’s maintenance operations in Peru

July 2022 – present:

Advisor with Australian Naval Infrastructure for their Osborne Naval Shipyard development in Adelaide

April 2022 – present:

Advisor with Ausbarge Marine Services for their WHT transport project in Sydney

February 2022 – present:

Dredging Advisor with John Holland / TC for their Darwin Ship Lift project in NT

October 2021 – present:

Constructability Advisor with Bluecoast Consulting Engineers regarding various project studies for TfNSW

October 2021 – April 2022:

Independent Expert with Allens><Linklaters Lawyers for a dispute case in Sydney NSW

September 2021 – present:

Technical advisor with Bluecoast Consulting Engineers for the Stockton Beach project in Newcastle

August 2021 – present:

Dredging advisor with Multiplex Australasia for their new Sydney Fish Market project

June 2021 – present:

Dredging & Marine Expert with the UNDP for their TCAP project in the Pacific

February 2021 – present:

Advisor with Hellyer Gold Mines for their Tailings Dredging activities in Tasmania

December 2019 – present:

Technical advisor with Bluecoast Consulting Engineers for the Artificial Reef project in Albany

August 2019 – March 2020:

Expert Witness for the Workplace Advisory Group in relation to the FC Court case in Brisbane

August 2018 – present:

Dredging advisor with SMC Marine for various projects in and around Sydney and Brisbane

July 2018 – August 2019:

Independent advisor to the Port of Newcastle in respect of their Arbitration proceedings

June 2018 – April 2021:

Member of the Technical Advisory Group with Ports North for the Cairns Shipping Development project

March 2018 – February 2021:

Maritime Construction Specialist to the City of Gold Coast for their Palm Beach shoreline SCS project

February 2018 – present:

Dredging Expert Trainer with TTT Ltd facilitating training to the BIWTA and various Ministries of Bangladesh

September 2017 – present:

Dredging advisor with the Victorian Regional Channels Authority for their Geelong Major Channel Upgrade project

June 2017 – present:

Dredging advisor with McConnell Dowell Constructors for their Tweed River Entrance Dredging project

May 2017 – September 2020:

Dredging advisor with Rio Tinto Alcan for their Gove Sediment Study project in the Northern Territory

April 2017 – February 2020:

Dredging advisor with BMD Constructions for various dredging related projects in the Philippines

July 2016 – present:

Dredging advisor with CPB Contractors for various dredging projects

October 2015 – May 2017:

Dredging advisor to the Boston Consulting Group for dredging related projects in India

January 2015 – October 2019:

Dredging advisor with PanAust for their Frieda River mine development in Papua New Guinea

November 2014 – present:

Dredging advisor and Clients Representative with the Port of Brisbane for their channel deepening study and trial dredging project

January 2014 – April 2021:

Dredging advisor with Ports North for the Cairns Shipping Development project

July 2013 – September 2019:

Dredging advisor with the Queensland Government for their Port Development projects

July 2012 – August 2019:

Dredging advisor with Rio Tinto Alcan for their Port Development project at Weipa in North Queensland

September 2016 – March 2018:

Advisor to the City of Gold Coast for their Beach Shoreline project

December 2013 – May 2015:

Member of the Dispute Avoidance Board for the Brisbane Airport Corporation New Parallel Runway project

October 2013 – December 2015:

Dredging advisor with Qube Ports for their Port Development project in New South Wales

November 2011 – February 2014:

Dredging advisor with Leighton Ports and Marine for various projects in Australia and New Zealand

August 2011 – January 2014:

Advisor, tender evaluation team member and dredging contract negotiator for PNGSDP’s Port Development at Daru, PNG Western Province

September 2012 – April 2013:

Dredging advisor with Woodside Energy for their Western Australia Browse LNG Port Development project

July 2012 – January 2013:

Member of a Due Diligence Team for a project in Queensland

March 2011 – July 2011:

Assignment with Van Oord Australia Pty Ltd:

  • Leading contract negotiations for the VODI JV with the Gladstone Ports Corporation
  • Management advice and support

January 2009 – February 2011

Regional Office, Van Oord Australia, Brisbane

  • Managing Director Van Oord Australia Pty Ltd
  • Managing Director WA Shell Sands Pty Ltd
  • Managing Director NZ Dredging and General Works Pty Ltd
  • Reporting to the Area Director Van Oord DMC
    • Projects executed: Woodside Pluto WA, RT Cape Lambert, Vertical Drains PoB, CUF Port Adelaide, Dampier Drilling & Blasting, PoB Reclamation, BAC Reclamation, Hay Point Drilling & Blasting, Lakes Entrance Maintenance, Botany Bay Dredging, Abbot Point Dredging, Dampier Dredging, Gladstone and Wiggins Island Dredging, Cockburn project, Bunbury Maintenance, Taranaki/Tauranga/Timaru Dredging, Christchurch Outfall Dredging, Lyttelton Maintenance among others.
    • Project involvement: All above projects and INPEX Darwin, Karumba Maintenance, Weipa Dredging, Melbourne Maintenance, Geelong Dredging, Newcastle Dredging, Port Kembla Dredging, Albany Dredging, Fremantle Dredging, Geraldton Dredging, Flinders Port Maintenance, Port Otago Dredging, Barrow Island project, Port Hedland Dredging, Oakajee project, Townsville Dredging, Anketell Point project, Gold Coast Dredging, Darwin Dredging, Woodside Browse, Lae Port Dredging, Ok Tedi Dredging among others.

March 2008 – December 2008

Regional Office, Van Oord Australia, Brisbane

  • Operations Manager for the region
  • Reporting to the Managing Director
    • Projects executed: Woodside Pluto WA, PoB Reclamation, BAC Reclamation, Lakes Entrance Maintenance, Cockburn project, Bunbury Maintenance, Dalrymple Bay Dredging, Weipa Dredging, Port Hedland Dredging among others.

January 2006 – March 2008

Head Office, Van Oord DMC b.v., Rotterdam

  • Contracts Manager Area South East Asia
  • Contracts Manager Area North East Asia
  • Manager Trainee Program
  • Reporting to the Area Managers and HR Manager
    • Project involvement: All major port developments in Singapore, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Macau and the Philippines.

January 2004 – January 2006

Project Office, Deira Corniche, Dubai, UAE

  • Project and Operations Manager, Van Oord DMC b.v.
  • Reporting to the Area Manager
    • Project executed: € 2.5 billion Palm Deira and Deira Corniche project.

August 2003 – January 2004

Regional Office, Ballast Ham Dredging, Abu Dhabi, UAE

  • General Manager. Acquisition and execution of projects in the Middle East region; UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Oman and Yemen
  • Reporting to the Area Manager
    • Project involvement: Palm Jumeirah, The World, Dubai Maritime City, Dubai Beach Restorations and all major port developments in UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran and Oman.

August 2001 – August 2003

Head Office, Ballast Ham Dredging b.v., Rotterdam

  • Contracts Manager Area Africa and Southern Europe
  • Reporting to the Area Director
    • Project involvement: Victoria/Bar Beach Reclamation, Calabar Dredging, Port Harcourt Dredging, Niger River Dredging, Durban Dredging, Coega Dredging and all major port developments in Ghana, the Gambia, Namibia, Gabon, Angola, Tanzania, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Spain and Gibraltar among others.

March 2001 – August 2001

Project Office, Penta – Koon – DI Joint Venture, Singapore

  • Project Manager, Penta Ocean/Koon/Dredging International Joint Venture of the Jurong phase 2 and Tuas Project for Jurong Town Corporation
  • Reporting to the Board of Directors
    • Project executed: Jurong Island phase 2 and Tuas View project.

May 2000 – March 2001

Project Office, HAM – HKC Joint Venture, Hong Kong

  • Project Manager, Marine Works Section, HAM – Hong Kong Construction Joint Venture of the Penny’s Bay Project for the Hong Kong Civil Engineering Department
  • Reporting to the Board of Directors
    • Project executed: Hong Kong Disneyland project, Lantau Island.

August 1996 – May 2000

Project Office, Penta – Koon – DI Joint Venture, Singapore

  • Project Manager, Penta Ocean/Koon/Dredging International Joint Venture of the Jurong phase 2 and Tuas Project for Jurong Town Corporation
  • Reporting to the Board of Directors
    • Project executed: Jurong Island phase 2 and Tuas View project.

August 1992 – August 1996

Regional Office, HAM Dredging and Marine Contractors, Singapore

  • General Manager. Acquisition and execution of projects in the South East Asia region; Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
  • Reporting to the Area Manager
    • Project involvement: Jurong Island phase 1 Reclamation, Pasir Gudang Dredging, Tanjong Pelepas Dredging, Kuantan Dredging, Port Klang development, Map Ta Phut Dredging, Rayong Dredging, Tanjong Priok development, Ha Tien Dredging, Vung Tau Reclamation, Cai Lan Dredging, Hai Phong Dredging and all major port development in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

March 1989 – August 1992

Operational Office, Nigerian Dredging and Marine Ltd., Warri, Nigeria

  • Manager Dredging Division. Management of all Division related activities, such as acquisition, tender preparations, execution of projects and cost control
  • Member of the Management Team
  • Reporting to the Managing Director
    • Projects executed and involvement: Victoria/Bar Beach Reclamation, Bonny LNG Reclamation, Forcados Dredging, Escravos Reclamation, slot dredging for all Oil Majors, Lekki Peninsula Reclamation, Port Harcourt Reclamation and Calabar Reclamation among others.

April 1988 – March 1989

Various locations, Volker Stevin Dredging b.v.

  • April 1988 till August 1988: Project Manager ETPM Pipeline Installation Rabi-N’Tchengue, trench dredging for pipeline crossings at Ozomi and Fenno Vase in Gabon, Africa
  • August 1988 till March 1989: Project Manager of the Al Mirfa Dredging and Reclamation project for PWD of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

November 1985 – April 1988

Various locations, Volker Stevin Dredging b.v.

  • February 1986: Project Manager Rotterdam Harbor Maintenance Dredging
  • Contract Management for Volker Stevin Offshore
  • May 1986: Project Manager Shell Leman F&G Project, Offshore seabed preparation on the North Sea
  • July 1986 till January 1987: Project Manager Geopotes 15 reclamation project at the Lac du North, Tunis, Tunisia
  • May 1987 till June 1987: Project Manager Conoco Southern Basin Gas Development Project, Offshore seabed preparation on the North Sea
  • August 1987 till November 1987: Project Manager Blue Circle Crossways 25 Development Reclamation Project at Dartford, Kent, U.K.
  • February 1988: Project Manager Maintenance Dredging Project at the Elbe River, Germany

May 1983 – November 1985

Head Office, Volker Stevin Dredging b.v., Rotterdam

  • Senior Engineer reporting to the head of the engineering department
  • Production Estimating, soil interpretations
  • Improving the degassing system for dredging in gas containing muds
  • Feasibility study for ash storage at Chatham, U.K.
  • Team member for feasibility study fly-ash storage at Aamse Plas, NL
  • MTM study on board of a grab dredger
  • Feasibility study fly-ash dredging at Kingsnorth power Station, U.K.
  • Model tests on the improvements of an oil sweeping arm for marine oil combating operations
  • On site project support at various projects in U.K.
  • Publications: Chapter ‘execution’ of the ‘Manual on artificial beach nourishment’ for the Rijkswaterstaat (Public Works Department)

August 1981 – May 1983

Project Office, Gladstone Dredging Joint Venture, Gladstone, Queensland, Australia

  • Head Project Engineer for the main channel deepening and widening project, including the dredging of the Gladstone Marina
  • Reporting to the Project Manager
    • Project executed: Gladstone Channel deepening and widening, Clinton and Barney Berth Dredging and the Gladstone Marine development Dredging and Reclamation.

November 1977 – August 1981

Head Office, Adriaan Volker Dredging b.v., Rotterdam

  • Production Estimating, soil interpretations, site visits to France and Egypt
  • Site measurements for research purposes, visits to Rotterdam and Damman
  • Production optimalisation and work methods, visit to Mexico
  • Soil investigations executed in France, Mexico and Egypt
  • Computer programming on a DEC-PDP 11/40 computer in Fortran IV for leg force calculations of the Simon Stevin

Contact Us

Get in touch to find out what Akuna Dredging Solutions Pty Ltd can do for you and your project.

Akuna Dredging Solutions

Camp Mountain
Queensland 4520
Australia

Telephone: +61 4 397 55 308

Email: Jack.Kerklaan@AkunaDredging.com.au

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