Construction was finally starting this month on the ¢ 1bn first phase of Rotterdam''s giant new North Sea Maasvlakte 2 complex, which will eventually house deepsea container, distribution and chemical industry facilities and ease the strain on the main port.
Rotterdam Port Authority CEO Hans Smits said, 'The container market is desperate for new sites on deep water. The space that Maasvlakte 2 will shortly provide is desperately needed.'
It will however be mid 2013 before the first container ships will unload if Phase 1 construction is completed as planned. The first reclaimed land sites will however be ready to build on in early 2011.
Smits said after 15 years of planning, a start was being made by dredging sand in the Yangtzehaven, using the cutter suction dredger Zuiderklip. The sand was being transported via a pressure pipeline to the site of the future APMT terminal, north of the Slufterstrand. Soon after, the first hopper dredger would begin to build soft coastal defences and carry out other works. Overall, about 2,000 hectares is being reclaimed half for terminals and half for sea defences, fairways, railways, roads and port basins.
Contracts have already been signed for more than 40% of Maasvlakte 2's sites, among them the planned APMT, RWG and Euromax terminals. First Phase construction is in the hands of PUMA - grouping Dutch dredging and marine civil engineering firms Koninklijke Boskalis Westminster and Van Oord.
Phase 1 covers construction of 2.4 kms of hard sea walls using stones and blocks, 8.4 kms of soft sea walls consisting of beaches and dunes, the first 700 hectares of port area, 2km of deepsea quays with 20m alongside and 1km of barge/feeder quayside on 11 to 13m depth. It also includes port basin deepening and construction of 11km of access roads and double track railway. Seawall maintenance for five years is also part of the contract.
By Tom Todd
