New lock opens, crane barge recovered in Dutch port

Ships sailing from the North Sea into the hinterland of the Benelux countries are now using a new lock in the port of Terneuzen in the Netherlands. This was opened by royalty on 11 October 2024, enabling ships of up to 366 m, with a beam of 49 m and draught of around 15 m to sail through the port on this main shipping passage.

Construction started on this lock in 2017. It has replaced the middle lock in the port, which had been in use since 1910.

Its opening by king of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander, and the king of Belgium, Philippe, was followed by the first oceangoing ship passing through the lock, 240-m long, 38-m wide Bregaglia, supported by tugs owned by Multraship Towage & Salvage.

Its opening comes as the port authority expects the number of ships to pass through the lock to rise from 56,000 in 2023 to 96,000 in 2040.

Future users of the North Sea Locks will include ArcelorMittal, Sea-Invest, Verbrugge Terminals Terneuzen, Ovet and DFDS Seaways.

It was commissioned by the Flemish-Dutch Scheldt Commission, a partnership between the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and the Flemish Department of Mobility and Public Works.

The lock is also part of the region’s primary flood defence and water management system.