Lock opens to world’s largest ships
The first and largest ship has sailed the Ghent-to-Terneuzen canal after a major civil engineering project was completed 18 months later than planned.
The works have been carried out at the North Sea Port, in the south of the Netherlands about 40 miles west of the Port of Antwerp in Belgium.
“MV Bregaglia is the largest ship ever to sail on the Ghent to Terneuzen Canal,” says the Nieuwe Sluis. “But this ship certainly won’t be the last. Larger sea-going vessels will soon be able to reach Terneuzen and Ghent. In this way, the Nieuwe Sluis will provide new economic activities in both the Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and the Flemish regions and a better utilisation of the economic potential of the Canal Zone in both regions.
“In addition, the capacity of the North Sea locks will increase, which will reduce the waiting time for inland vessels.”
The project to widen the canal entailed extensive works to come to fruition, including the removal of 10 million cubic metres of soil, dredged by marine contractor DEME.
An existing middle lock had to be demolished and a completely new one built and installed, with new buildings at the port and new scour and shore protection.
The inner harbour was deepened to 14 metres, the outer harbour to 16.44 metres.
Operators rate the North Sea Port as 10th in Europe in terms of goods volume.
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