Understanding the sedimentation process in Tanjung Carat, South Sumatra, Indonesia

South Sumatra Province is one of the provinces in Indonesia with high revenue compared to other provinces. However, they have faced a significant challenge with their logistics and transportation efficiency. Their main ports are within the river area which limits the size of the vessels it can accommodate. One of the major ports is Boom Baru Port, which is situated in Palembang, the capital of South Sumatra Province. It lies on the Musi River and has a draft of approximately −6 meters from the lowest water spring (LWS). To address this challenge, plans are underway to develop a new major port in the coastal area. Tanjung Carat has emerged as a promising candidate for port development because of its strategic location at the estuary of major rivers in South Sumatra, which includes the Musi Banyuasin and Musi River. The upstream area from these rivers is heavily utilised by mining and agriculture. However, the geographic location and upstream human activities lead to important challenges due to sedimentation, which will be a major constraint for the port development project. The limited availability of published studies on sedimentation in this area further hinders effective planning for the proposed port development. Additionally, the tidal forces in this estuary are complex. The complexity lies in the presence of tidal asymmetry driven by the interaction between diurnal and semidiurnal tidal components. The estuary’s connection to the Bangka Strait adds another layer of complexity to the tidal regime. Therefore, this research aims to improve our understanding of the key factors influencing sedimentation and develop strategies to mitigate its impact on the proposed port development. Delft3D numerical model is employed to simulate and analyse the hydrodynamic processes in the Tanjung Carat Estuary. This analysis provides a comprehensive picture of the main drivers of sediment dynamics in this critical location.</jats:p>