Giant lock at North Sea Port opens to shipping
The Nieuwe Sluis lock in Terneuzen, part of the North Sea Port, has opened to all shipping 10 months after its royal inauguration.
The lock, which is one of the largest in the world, was built to improve access to the ports in the hinterland. Larger seagoing vessels up to 366m long and 49m wide will now have easier access to the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, which was previously only possible at high tide. This will significantly increase the capacity of the complex and improve safety.
However, the canal needs to be dredged in some places and passage width will remain limited to around 40m for the time being. The motorway tunnel under the canal in Zelzate, East Flanders, means ships cannot go deeper than 12.5m, though the lock can handle vessels with a hull of 14.5m.
Discussions are under way between Flanders and the Netherlands about further modifications to the canal.
The Nieuwe Sluis was inaugurated in October 2024, in the presence of King Philippe and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Though the opening attracted public and diplomatic attention, the lock was not yet ready for regular use.
Technical issues, such as bridges that weren’t strong enough and unexpected mixing of salt and fresh water during lockage, led to months of delays. Adjustments and extensive test runs were required before the complex was ready for use.
Trial operations have been taking place since the spring, during which dozens of ships have been successfully transited. Boat operators, skippers, pilots and towage services have been trained and procedures coordinated with North Sea Port and De Vlaamse Waterweg, which manages Flanders’ waterways.
The lock is essential for the development of North Sea Port, the group that encompasses the ports of Ghent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen.
Strategic link
Two-thirds of the Ghent port area is only accessible via the Ghent-Terneuzen canal, and the old lock was becoming too small for modern seagoing vessels.
Construction took seven years and cost around 1.2 billion euros, with around 500 million coming from the Flemish government. As the complex will mainly benefit the port of Ghent, Flanders paid most of the construction costs.
The EU funded part of the project through its Trans-European Transport Network programme, as the Nieuwe Sluis is a strategic European transport link.
#FlandersNewsService | King Willem-Alexander and King Philippe at the opening of the Nieuwe Sluis in Terneuzen © PHOTO DUTCHPRESSPHOTO
Related news
