After a journey of more than two months, the transport vessel Zhen Hua 34 arrived at Vlissingen North Sea Port with components for the Nieuwe Sluis (New Lock) in Terneuzen. The vessel delivered two bascule bridges, four lock gates, eight sewer gates and maintenance facilities.
The ship departed from Penglai in China to North Sea Port on March 18, 2022. The ship is unloaded in the Scaldiahaven in Vlissingen-East. To do this, the ship had to turn on arrival and sail backwards into the /dock in order to moor at the quay.
The gates and bridges are not yet needed at the construction site of the Nieuwe Sluis in Terneuzen, and therefore they will be stored in the Autrichehaven, in Westdorpe (located between Terneuzen and the Dutch-Belgian border). The last inspections and work are still being carried out there. At a later date, the four lock gates will be set in their position at the Nieuwe Sluis and the installation of bridges will follow shortly afterwards.
Photo source: North Sea Port
Special transport via Westsluis in Terneuzen
In Vlissingen, the gates and bridges will be loaded separately onto a pontoon, after which they will depart for Westdorpe in the coming days, with the help of pusher and tugboats. It will take six separate journeys to move all the components, passing the Westluis lock complex in Terneuzen on their way.
The construction of the Nieuwe Sluis in Terneuzen has been in full swing since the end of 2017. Once completed, the it will be one of the largest locks in the world. In terms of dimensions, the Nieuwe Sluis is comparable to the locks in IJmuiden, Antwerp and Panama.
The lock complex in Terneuzen is the gateway to Terneuzen and Ghent in the port area of ​​North Sea Port and ensures supplies to the companies for the next 50 to 100 years. Both with current goods and raw materials and with new ones such as hydrogen, CO2 or for the circular economy.
The Nieuwe Sluis provides better access and smoother flow of the increasing shipping traffic, for both inland and seagoing vessels. This creates an improved shipping connection between the Netherlands, Belgium and France and the whole of Europe.
An improved infrastructure will be created with a second larger lock for seagoing vessels. Flanders and the Netherlands can count on a considerable economic boost with the arrival of the Nieuwe Sluis.
