Streamlined permitting for dredging

Introduction

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency's digital transformation of dredging permit management has streamlined compliance, reduced manual processing, and enhanced regulatory oversight through an automated and transparent system

Case metrics

Key statistics

200

cases annually

5

months to go-live for version 2

19.4

mio. m2 material dredged over the course of 7 years

The challenge

Regulating dredging to ensure safe harbor operations and environmental compliance

Dredging is an essential activity for maintaining navigable waterways and harbor operations by removing and relocating excess seabed materials. These materials are often disposed of at designated marine disposal sites approved by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Given its potential environmental impact on water quality, marine habitats, and other sea-based activities, strict regulatory oversight is required.

EPA is responsible for granting dredging permits, monitoring compliance, and collecting annual reports on dredged volumes. Permit holders must notify the Danish EPA upon both the start and completion of dredging activities and submit annual reports detailing the volume of disposed material.

Previously, permit management relied on manual processing, involving email and phone correspondence outside formal casework flows. This fragmented approach led to inefficiencies and increased the administrative workload. Danish EPA required a comprehensive digital solution to centralize all dredging-related processes, automate case handling, enhance compliance tracking, and improve transparency.

The solution

A digital transformation for streamlined permit management

To address these challenges, Danish EPA implemented the first version of the system in November 2020, a tailored solution built on the F2 Platform to digitize the dredging permit process. The system streamlined application submissions, permit issuance, and annual reporting while serving as one of three key inspection processes supporting Danish EPA’s broader supervision model.

By 2024, Danish EPA introduced the second version of the system, enhancing efficiency, data integrity, and automation capabilities. The updated system allowed for different case workflows to accommodate various dredging scenarios, including complete reuse of materials, partial reuse and disposal, and permit condition modifications. The second version fully integrated all case handling into F2, eliminating parallel processes and ensuring that permit modifications, notifications, and approvals were accurately recorded.

The new version introduced a search template and alarm service, providing caseworkers with an overview of data consistency across related cases and ensuring all necessary updates are completed. The alarm service notify caseworkers when measured depths at disposal sites fall below the minimum depth requirements set by the Danish Maritime Authority. These improvements strengthens transparency, ensure regulatory trust, and enhance Danish EPA’s ability to track permit compliance. Additionally, the introduction of automation reduced the risk of human errors, increasing confidence in compliance records.

The result

Enhanced efficiency, compliance, and transparency in dredging regulation

The transition to the second version has improved Danish EPA’s ability to regulate dredging permits efficiently. By automating workflows, Danish EPA has reduced manual case handling and centralized all application, approval, and reporting processes within a single system. The platform ensures data consistency by synchronizing updates across related cases, eliminating the risk of discrepancies. Permit histories now accurately reflect ongoing changes, allowing Danish EPA to enforce compliance more effectively.

The F2 solution has enhanced efficiency by automating annual reporting requests and responses, freeing up case managers to focus on environmental assessments rather than administrative tasks. The centralized permit database gives Danish EPA full visibility over active permits, making it easier to track compliance, send notifications, and manage inspections. The automated communication system eliminates the need for manual letter generation, ensuring faster responses and improved regulatory oversight.

By transitioning from a manual system to a fully digital and structured case management platform, Danish EPA has established a scalable, efficient, and transparent regulatory framework for dredging permits. The system now serves as a best-practice model for digitalized environmental permitting, demonstrating how automation can improve compliance, reduce administrative burdens, and support sustainable marine management.

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