Rotterdam deepens Nieuwe Waterweg to ease bigger vessels

The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and the Port of Rotterdam Authority are to deepen the Nieuwe Waterweg and the Botlek, aiming to improve accessibility to the Botlek ports. Works will begin in the spring of 2018 and will go on for around six months.

The work will involve an one-and-a-half-metre deepening along a 25-kilometre stretch of waterway between Hoek van Holland, the Benelux Tunnel and the adjoining Botlek port.

The deepening is aligned with the policy set out by the Port Authority and Rijkswaterstaat, as they work together at optimising the accessibility of the Rotterdam port area, the sustainable development of the port and the excellent quality of the waterways network.

    ‘Medium-sized tankers and dry bulk carriers are getting bigger. The deepening will allow the New Panamax and Aframax ships to navigate the Nieuwe Waterweg without any restrictions,’ said Willy Dekker, Network Director at Rijkswaterstaat.

As informed, after the deepening, ships with a draught of 15 metres will be able to sail into the harbour under normal circumstances. Ships with a draught of 14.90 metres can already sail through the new Panama Canal, so New Panamax ships will be able to reach the Botlek without any restrictions.

The dredging work will take place in the same way as regular maintenance dredging in the ports and along the river. There will be no extra disturbance to the surroundings, shipping or the workers at the port. As part of the project, compensation will be offered to affected water boards for precautions against any salinisation that may occur due to the salt water from the North Sea pushing further inland.