Two-way traffic for container giants
From 1 December 2012, large container ships will be able to pass each other when entering and leaving the port of Rotterdam. The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management widened the Maasgeul for this purpose by a good 250 metres. Sea-going ships with a draught of more than 14.4 metres can only enter or leave the port of Rotterdam via this navigation channel.
The widening of the Maasgeul was designed especially for container ships. These ships are becoming increasingly larger so that more containers can be transported at the same time. The Port of Rotterdam Authority also expects container throughput to grow in the future. But not only container ships will benefit from the widening, the waiting times for other large sea-going ships, such as tankers and bulk carriers, will also be cut.
The widening of the Maasgeul was achieved in six months’ time: around 350,000 cubic metres of clay, sand and peat were dredged from the sea floor to a depth of 21 metres. This would fill 140 Olympic-size swimming pools. To make the new section of the navigation channel ready for use, rules of use were amended and shipping informed in the past month. The new section of the Maasgeul was also added to nautical charts and a buoy marking the navigation channel was shifted. The Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management will maintain the new section of the navigation channel. If the channel becomes too shallow because it silts up, dredgers will bring it back to the right depth.
DATE:2012.12.3
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