Over the last few months the two companies have jointly studied options for a large scale land reclamation project in the North Sea. The proposals are a response to questions that are topical in The Netherlands currently about the safety of the coast as a result of the expected rise in sea level, and the lack of space and the need to expand the residential environment in the densely populated Randstad area, the area containing Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague.

The plans for the coastal extension and a new international airport are based on the knowledge and experience that both parties have developed in the course of many years while designing and executing large-scale land reclamation projects and artificial islands in the sea, including recent projects in Dubai such as the Palm Islands and The World. The companies are proposing to broaden the coastal zone by 3 km in order to enhance the safety of The Netherlands. This will create 250 sq/km of new land. The proposed work is split up into phases covering the coast from the Hook of Holland to Den Helder. It will take about 25 years, and approximately 3.8bn cu/m of sand from the North Sea will be needed.

The companies have calculated that if one third of the 'new land' is zoned for residential building and offices, and the rest as a nature and recreation area, the project can be implemented on a cost neutral basis. The concept also includes a new row of dunes 3 km off the coast that would be able to withstand the rise in sea level which experts are predicting will be between 60cm and 80cm before the end of this century.

The proposal also includes a pioneering design for an international airport about 20km from the coast, featuring innovative floating and rotating runways. The airport could be operational 24 hours a day, seven days a week and would enable the Netherlands to further expand its important position as the gateway to Europe after 2025, when Schiphol Airport will have reached its maximum capacity.