Rotterdam canal widened by 500 metres as part of port expansion

The canal has been widened by 500 metres along its southern side to allow the works to be done.

It is the second phase of a project by the consortium of Van Oord, Hakkers and De Klerk in the Port of Rotterdam to accommodate the growing container traffic and larger vessels serving Maasvlakte 2.

The next phase will see the construction of a 1,450m quay wall west of the existing Antarcticakade, creating 20 new inland shipping berths with shore power alongside the 10 existing berths. The development will also include a heavy-load area for occasional cargo handling and specialised materials.

The Yangtze Canal provides access to the APMT 2 and Rotterdam World Gateway (RWG) container terminals in Prinses Amaliahaven, both of which are expanding capacity. As vessel sizes and traffic volumes continue to increase, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is widening the canal along its full length to improve navigational safety and prepare for the next generation of ultra-large container ships. Once complete, the project will allow two-way traffic for vessels of up to 24,000 TEU.

Sround 1.4 million cubic metres of sand will be dredged during the widening works and reused for land reclamation at Maasvlakte 2.

The consortium also plans to use approximately 10,000m³ of cement-free geopolymer concrete in the upper section of the new quay wall.

The Yangtze Canal widening programme is part of the Port of Rotterdam Authority’s long-term investment in maintaining safe and efficient access to Europe’s largest container port as global shipping continues to deploy larger container vessels.